Fish Lines by Washington Post's Gary Diamond

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Fish Lines
By Gary Diamond
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, April 22, 2005; Page WE49

Hall's Restaurant in Ocean City is again hosting the Ocean City Reef Foundation dinner. It is May 4 from 5 to 8 with an all-you-can-eat dinner. There will be silent and live auctions with a vast assortment of items, the proceeds of which help fund the foundation's activities. For more information, visit www.ocreeffoundation.com/main.html.

Two boats tied up in West Ocean City at Fisherman's Marina are scheduled to be towed out and sunk as part of the Reef Foundation's ongoing program. One is a very robust steel Army T-boat that should provide excellent habitat for tautog and sea bass. The other is smaller at 45 feet but will serve equally well. The latter was ballasted with four cubic yards of concrete, which means the tide will never drag the wreckage away. What is unique about these boats is how they'll be sunk. The Coast Guard is going to use them for target practice.

What's the Catch?

Washington & Vicinity

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- It was a great week of largemouth bass fishing, primarily in the river's District of Columbia segment and some creeks to the south. Mattawoman Creek, mouth of Aquia and Chickamuxen creeks, Bryans Cove and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge area produced largemouths ranging from 12 to 18 inches. Tube lures, spinnerbaits and shad imitations and crankbaits have been most effective when fished early and late. Look for major spawning activity this week if the weather remains warm and dry. White perch and hickory shad arrived in the faster-moving waters near and above Fletcher's Landing, both of which can be taken while casting small shad darts and streamer flies. Washington Channel and some nearby creek mouths provided anglers with good numbers of channel catfish to 10 pounds. Nearly all were taken on bottom-fished cut herring baits, chicken livers and night crawlers.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- While the river is still well above normal, water quality during the past few days has improved. Another week of relatively dry weather should provide anglers with good smallmouth bass action at Whites Ferry, Edwards Ferry, Lander, Point of Rock and the deeper pools near Brunswick.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA.) -- The river is still high and a bit muddy in the main stem, but fishable at the mouths of major tributaries upriver of Harrisburg. Much of the past week's smallmouth action came from the Juniata River's mouth where dark-colored tube lures enticed strikes from smallmouth bass to five pounds and walleye to four pounds.

Maryland

TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- Jerry Sauter of Baltimore was casting a Bass Assassin in Triadelphia Reservoir when he hooked and landed a 10-pound 1.5-ounce tiger muskie, and a 12-pound 8.5-ounce striped bass. The upper reaches of both impoundments have cleared nicely. Fair numbers of spawning crappie can be found in the coves and white perch should become active soon.

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- Sunday's boating anglers returned to Loch Raven Fishing Center with good reports of catch-and-release fishing for largemouth bass and chain pickerel from the larger coves, locations where tube lures, spinnerbaits and shallow-running crankbaits were effective. Shorebound anglers fishing with live minnows suspended beneath small floats caught crappie to 12 inches while working the waters just above Dulaney Valley Bridge and just downlake of Warren Bridge. These fish are just beginning to spawn and fairly easy to catch if you're lucky enough to find patches of open bottom where they spawn.

MARYLAND TROUT STREAMS -- Trout fishing really picked up. Traditional baits such as night crawlers, whole kernel corn and Velveeta cheese rolled into pea-size pellets produced the lion's share of rainbow trout ranging from 10 to 15 inches in length. A few fish were taken on artificials as well, but water temperatures will have to climb a few more degrees to trigger good aquatic insect hatches, which should improve fly-fishing catches.

Virginia

LAKE ANNA -- While largemouth bass action was excellent in most of the impoundment's larger tributaries, big fish were a bit scarce until this past week. The shallows seem to be alive with bass, fish weighing two to seven pounds, many with bloody tails from fanning out nests and most are extremely aggressive. Allen Carter of Fredericksburg caught two bass weighing five and six pounds, respectively. Jeremy Repa of New Market, Va., was plugging the shallows when he caught one that tipped the scales at 6 pounds 4 ounces. Striped bass action was fantastic last weekend. Water temperatures climbed about five degrees, triggering a feeding binge that put lots of five- to nine-pound stripers in the coolers of anglers fishing near Jett Island, The Splits, mouth of Contrary Creek and several other uplake locations. Most were taken on four-inch, pearl-colored Sassy Shad rigged to half-ounce leadheads and cast to depths of eight to 15 feet close to shore during the early morning hours. Those who fished in the middle of the day opted to troll deep-diving crankbaits, which at some locations lured the largest fish of the season. Local angler Dan Trimble nailed a 16-pound 9-ouncer last week.

KERR RESERVOIR -- The impoundment is beginning to get back to normal, crappie are still schooled in the shallows, and local youngsters had a ball catching slabsides to 12 inches while suspending small minnows beneath floats and fishing near submerged brush piles. Trollers managed to sink their hooks into a few stripers over the past weekend, while plug casters working the larger coves with spinnerbaits, shallow-running crankbaits and small topwater plugs caught some largemouth bass to four pounds.

SHENANDOAH RIVER -- Conditions were good for smallmouth bass and panfish action near Bentonville Bridge, locations where anglers drift-fished the river in canoes, inflatables and jonboats last weekend and reported moderate success. Most caught smallmouth bass to two pounds, catfish of similar sizes and a mix of sunfish and bluegills.

Chesapeake Bay

UPPER BAY -- The Chesapeake's upper reaches are still quite muddy, however, weekend anglers managed to overcome the conditions by striper fishing with live herring at the Susquehanna Flats near Red Point, Turkey Point and the deep trough in front of the VA Hospital at Perryville. The North East River's upper reaches provided anglers with a mix of channel catfish to 12 pounds, plus fair numbers of crappie to 10 inches, most of which were caught near Town Park Pier. Anglers fishing from the shores of Elk Neck State Park caught lots of white perch ranging from six to 15 inches while dunking bloodworms. Similar-size perch were also found in the C&D Canal as far east as Chesapeake City, the mouth of the Bohemia River and the Susquehanna River's lower reaches just above I-95 bridge. Hickory shad entered the mouth of Deer Creek and some have been seen, but not caught, swirling below the decks of Stafford Road bridge. Water temperatures in the creek should be high enough by midweek for fly rodders to begin hooking these tiny cousins of tarpon. Chester River anglers caught lots of channel catfish to 10 pounds while dunking chunks of cut herring beneath Chestertown's Route 213 bridge, and downriver near the mouth of Langford Creek. White perch to 10 inches are still schooled near Millington, where bottom-fished bloodworms, night crawlers and pieces of clam snout proved productive.

BAY BRIDGES AREA -- The bay is still muddy here, but there were some scattered catches of white perch reported in the Magothy River's upper reaches, and across the bay in Kent Narrows, locations where bottom-fished bloodworms and live minnows lured perch to 12 inches.

CHOPTANK RIVER AREA -- Good numbers of white perch were caught at Wye Mills and Tuckahoe, most of which were small males that hit bottom-fished bloodworms, night crawlers and shad darts fished in the shallows. Local charter captains fished the bay's western channel edge with large umbrella rigs trimmed with white and chartreuse Sassy Shad, lures that lured striped bass to 40 inches. A 57-inch striper estimated at 60 pounds inhaled a piece of cut herring intended for catfish in the Choptank River just above the town of Choptank. The fish was released immediately after being photographed.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA -- Muddy water surging down the bay made trolling above Calvert Cliffs nearly impossible along the bay's western channel edge, however, the boats that battled Saturday's winds and waves found stripers to 42 inches lurking just beneath the surface south of the nuclear power plant. Across the bay at The Gooses and False Channel, limit catches of stripers from 32 to 38 inches were made by early morning anglers.

PATUXENT RIVER AREA -- The charter fleet headed to the bay's western channel edge to troll for stripers on opening day. Most eventually caught their limit of rockfish, ranging from 32 to 42 inches, while trolling lures just beneath the surface. Inside the river, anglers fishing the mouths of small tributaries above Route 4 bridge caught some white perch to 10 inches on bottom-fished bloodworms and grass shrimp.

HONGA RIVER AREA -- Eastern shore anglers were able to fish the bay's fertile waters just north of Hooper Island Light, which provided some shelter from the gusting northeasterly breezes. The channel edge held good numbers of stripers to 35 pounds, most of which were taken on trolled umbrella rigs trimmed with chartreuse Sassy Shad.

TANGIER SOUND AREA -- This was one of the few sheltered water areas that produced limit catches of big stripers. Rockfish to 36 inches were caught while trolling tandem bucktails and spoons along the sound's eastern channel edge near Puppy Hole Buoy, and farther south near Fox Island Buoy. Still too early for croaker action, but they should be arriving in another week or two.

POINT LOOKOUT AREA -- The river's mouth was rough on Saturday, but by Sunday the winds subsided and trollers encountered good numbers of big stripers just north of Smith Point Light near The Triangle. Croaker have migrated into the river's deeper channels, but recreational anglers still have about a week or two before they reach the Wicomico River's mouth.

CAPE CHARLES AREA -- Before the weekend's winds there were good reports of tautog to five pounds caught from among the submerged boulders of the CBBT's manmade islands, and from the concrete ship wreckage at Kiptopeke.

Atlantic Coast

OCEAN CITY -- Inside the back bays, the bulkhead situated between Second and Fourth streets holds a few keeper-size tautog to three pounds, fish that smacked frozen sand fleas and chunks of hard-shell crab fished tight against the rocks.

CHINCOTEAGUE & WACHAPREAGUE -- Flounder to 20 inches were found at both locations, mainly lurking along channel edges just inside the respective inlets. Minnow/squid sandwiches were the most effective baits when fished on the back end of a small bucktails and bounced along the bottom.

OUTER BANKS -- Inshore, catches consisted of small stripers near Mann's Bridge and an assortment of panfish from the surf and piers.

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Fish Lines
By Gary Diamond
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, April 29, 2005; WE60
Nighttime temperatures dropped to the upper 30s in many regions during the past week, causing water temperatures to drop as much as 10 degrees in some places. This produced temporary setbacks in what was the beginnings of a great fishing season.

What's the Catch?

Washington & Vicinity

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- The Potomac's tidal reaches provided anglers with modest catches of tidewater largemouth bass, but striper action was good at some locations above Woodrow Wilson Bridge and in the confines of Washington Channel. Plug casters lured stripers to 25 inches while fishing between Three Sister's and Chain bridges, while largemouth bass action seemed to be confined to Piscataway, Mattawoman, Aquia, Powell, Leesylvania and Chickamuxen creeks, locations where tube lures, spinnerbaits and crankbaits worked best.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- Smallmouth bass action ranged from fair to good at Ball's Bluff, White's Crossing, White's Ferry, Lander and Brunswick. Tube lures produced bronzebacks to 18 inches at those locations, but the biggest fish were taken on large, live shiners fished at the heads of pools.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA.) -- The most productive locations for trophy-size (five or more pounds) smallmouth bass were the mouths of clear-running creeks and rivers that were not affected by rain and falling temperatures. Most stream mouths between Montgomery Ferry and Harrisburg, including the mouth of the Juniata River, provided good catches of both smallmouth bass and muskies for anglers fishing tube lures rigged to half-ounce leadheads and working them slowly close to the bottom. Dark patterns such as black, brown, purple, motor-oil and many of the dark metal-flake colors seemed to lure the largest fish.

Maryland

TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- David Schmitt of Laurel was fishing Triadelphia Reservoir this past week when he hooked and landed a 10-pound 15-ounce northern pike while casting a live shiner. Though falling temperatures caused a decrease in crappie action, there were good numbers of channel catfish caught from both impoundments by anglers dunking chicken livers and night crawlers.

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- Crappie to 15 inches were found along the shores of Pierce's and Hampton coves, slabsides that smacked live minnows and shad darts suspended four to six feet beneath small floats. Emerging grass beds along the impoundments shores held good numbers of big bass and chain pickerel, both of which were looking for an easy meal to swim within striking range. Bass to five pounds slammed shallow-running crankbaits and spinnerbaits worked in depths of just one to three feet, while pickerel to three pounds inhaled small spinners, tube lures and live minnows. The reservoir's upper reaches are loaded with pre-spawn carp, some of which will tip the scales at 20 pounds or more. Kernels of canned yellow corn and night crawlers lured the largest carp when fished in the shallow coves above Warren Bridge.

Virginia

LAKE ANNA -- The full moon put the lake's largemouth bass on their spawning beds. At the impoundment's extreme lower end, particularly in Valentine and Levy creeks, and near the heated water outfall at d**e III, some bass have completed spawning and are beginning to feed heavily. Lures that imitate lizards and crawfish were effective for spawning fish, while post-spawn bass seemed to prefer spinnerbaits, tube lures and grubs. Carl Rhodes of Stuart's Draft, Va., bagged a seven-pounder this past week. Dwight Carter of Fredericksburg boated a 5-pound 2-ouncer, and Bruce "BJ" Johnson of Spotsylvania caught a 5-pound 12-ounce largemouth. Sturgeon Creek, the mouths of Contrary and Pigeon Creek and The Splits, especially around Rose Valley, were the past week's striped bass hot spots. Most of the action takes place in the lake's center where Sassy Shad, Sea Shad, Storm's Wild Eye Shad, and three-quarter-ounce jigging spoons lured stripers to 10 pounds. Live bait also working very well. Most action takes place in depths of eight to 15 feet, but the fish will occasionally explode beneath a topwater plug worked in the shallows.

SHENNANDOAH RIVER -- Water temperatures fell to 58 degrees, and just before the past week's rains smallmouth bass ranging to 18 inches smacked soft plastic lures such as stick baits and tube lures.

Chesapeake Bay

UPPER BAY -- Persistent anglers willing to brave brisk winds, cold temperatures and rough waters, plus fish with live herring, managed to sink their hooks into stripers to 42 inches and weighing nearly 25 pounds. Most were found near the North East River's mouth and upriver to Red Point. White perch ranging from runts to monsters were caught by shorebound anglers dunking bloodworms from the beaches of Elk Neck State Park near Turkey Point and the lower Susquehanna River near Lapidum Landing. However, the best perch catches were reported by boating anglers fishing the channel edges of both locations in depths of 12 to 20 feet where bloodworms, night crawler and grass shrimp were effective baits. Big channel catfish to 12 pounds were found at the same locations, plus inside C&D Canal, lower Elk River, Bohemia River and the lower end of the Susquehanna Flats. Shorebound anglers fishing for white perch at Eastern Neck Island Bridge caught a few stripers to 20 inches that were released, plus a handful of big white perch to 12 inches. Channel catfish to 10 pounds were found beneath Route 213 Bridge in Chestertown, while the mouths of some downriver creeks held small pods of white perch and a few small stripers.

BAY BRIDGES AREA -- A few keeper-size striped bass to 32 inches were caught from the beaches of Sandy Point State Park during the past week by anglers surf fishing with bloodworms. Scattered catches of white perch were also made using the same technique. Bottom-fished bloodworms produced a few mid-size white perch from among the Bay Bridge's pilings and submerged rock piles, and also from the shores of Kent Narrows near the old Kent Narrows Bridge.

CHOPTANK RIVER AREA -- Area charter boats battled winds and waves last week in their undaunted effort to catch limits of keeper-size rockfish, stripers measuring 28 inches or larger. Though most of the larger fish have yet to spawn, they are becoming more difficult to catch here because of poor water quality that was the result of this spring's wet, cold weather. A number of stripers in the 20- to 24-inch category were caught and released near the False Channel, The Gooses and across the bay near the mouth of Parker's Creek, fish that will be legal to keep on May 16. Upriver, anglers dunking cut herring baits from the Route 50 Bridge Fishing Piers caught a mix of big channel catfish to 10 pounds, plus a number of striped bass that were subsequently released.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA -- The charter fleet found the best fishing locations were often 15 to 20 miles to the south near the Radar Towers. Trollers using an array of lures ranging from tandem bucktails to umbrella rigs, both trimmed with 10-inch Sea Shad, lured rockfish to nearly 40 pounds and measuring just over 50 inches in length. When asked about the striper action, the word from the docks was "awesome."

PATUXENT RIVER AREA -- On days when the weather cooperated, most of the charter boats left the Patuxent River, ran a few miles to the bay's western channel edge, put out the lines and immediately began hooking big stripers. Most captains said they limited out before 9 a.m. Shorebound anglers fishing from the shores of Patuxent Naval Air Station made catches at Hog Point and Goose Creek, some of which were nearly 30 inches long.

HONGA RIVER AREA -- Trollers found big stripers along the bay's eastern channel edge between Hooper Island Light and south of Buoy 72, locations where limit catches of 32- to 40-inch fish were often made in the span of an hour or less. Croaker moved into the Honga River and were found in the shallow waters adjacent to Bentley Point where bottom-fished bloodworms and squid strips lured croaker to 15 inches.

TANGIER SOUND AREA -- Trollers found keeper-size stripers along Tangier Sound's eastern channel edge, mainly in the sound's upper reaches where tandem-rigged bucktails and large spoons were effective. Croaker arrived at the mouth of the Nanticoke River at Roaring Point, where nighttime anglers using bottom-fished bloodworms caught croaker to 20 inches during periods of moving tide.

POINT LOOKOUT AREA -- Some big stripers have been caught both from the fishing pier and from the nearby causeway. The week's largest was a 38-inch, 19-pounder caught by Ron Cerimel while fishing from the causeway with bloodworms. Croaker to 18 inches were caught by nighttime anglers fishing both locations using combinations of bloodworms and squid strips. Local charter boats do not have to go very far to catch limits of big stripers. Rockfish to 40 inches were boated by trollers fishing both of the bay's channel edges between Point Lookout and Smith Point Light. Big croaker arrived in the lower Potomac River at the Wicomico River's mouth. Anglers fishing from the pier in Bushwood landed an average of three to four fish each on Saturday, and one boat returned with seven. The croaker migration will begin in earnest in one or two weeks. One of the more productive locations is the lower Wicomico River, and rental boats are available in Bushwood at Quade's Store (301-769-3903).

CAPE CHARLES AREA -- The only day the wind did not howl anglers found good numbers of big tautog lurking among the CBBT's submerged boulders at the Fourth Island and at the concrete Liberty Ships that form the Kiptopeke Breakwater. Chunks of fresh, hardshell crab and strips of sea clam lured tog to eight pounds from both locations.

Atlantic Coast

OCEAN CITY -- Shorebound anglers fishing from the Route 50 bridge caught good numbers of striped bass, some measuring up to 32 inches. Nearly all were caught at night while casting Tsunami bucktails from the span. Small boat anglers drift-fishing with live minnows and squid strips just south of Route 90 bridge caught flounder to four pounds, while those fishing from the bulkhead between Second and Fourth streets with sand fleas caught fair numbers of tautog.

CHINCOTEAGUE & WACHAPREAGUE -- Flounder action continues to hold up well, with flatties to five pounds smacking live minnows and squid strips fished just inside the inlets along channel edges.

OUTER BANKS -- The surf was rough during the past week, but there were some snapper, bluefish, sea mullet, small flounder and an occasional puppy drum hauled in from the ends of piers and beaches.

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Fish Lines
By Gary Diamond
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, May 6, 2005; WE65

What's the Catch?

Washington & Vicinity

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- The marinas in Washington Channel, and submerged rocks in Pentagon Lagoon and Blue Plains provided weekend anglers with scattered catches of tidewater largemouths, but the action was sporadic. Schools of herring attracted striped bass to D.C. waters, but the recent chill may slow striped bass feeding activity. Shad imitations cast near pilings of the railroad bridge, Key Bridge and Woodrow Wilson Bridge should produce good results if the weather remains dry. There has been a big improvement in largemouth bass catches at the Spoils, where tube lures produced largemouths to four pounds when fished slowly close to the bottom. Recently emerged milfoil beds in Broad Creek and Piscataway Creek produced big, fat bass for anglers casting shallow-running crankbaits early and late in the day. Mattawoman Creek, especially in the 6 mph zone and Marsh Island area, held good numbers of similar-size largemouths as well.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- Tube lures and tiny, stream-size crankbaits in the deeper pools near White and Edwards ferries and Lander lured bronzebacks to two pounds through much of the week. Most of the action took place late in the day.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA.) -- Saturday's rains caused a significant rise in water level, but by Sunday afternoon the river was falling and smallmouth bass action was red-hot between Harrisburg and Fort Hunter. Most were taken on tube lures, but live minnows offered anglers both bronzebacks and tiger muskie. The week's largest muskie weighed a little more than 12 pounds and was caught near the Juniata River's mouth.

Maryland

TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- Good catches of crappie continue at both lakes, where live minnows and shad darts suspended beneath small floats produced slabsides to 12 inches. Fair numbers of both largemouth and smallmouth bass were caught by anglers casting soft plastics and shallow-running crankbaits close to shore and working them along the edges of sharp drop-offs. Lots of channel catfish in the upper reaches of both lakes, most of which were taken on bottom-fished night crawlers and chicken livers.

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- Most of the lake's crappie have completed their spawning ritual and migrated to deeper water, thus making them more difficult to catch. Fortunately, white perch to 12 inches arrived at mid-lake. Trollers using small, inline spinners trimmed with a morsel of night crawler caught large numbers of perch while fishing the main lake between the bridges at Loch Raven Drive and Dulaney Valley Road. Chain pickerel and largemouth bass have taken up residence in the shallows of most major coves, where spinners, shallow-running crankbaits and tube lures proved effective on days when the weather cooperated.

Virginia

LAKE ANNA -- Largemouth bass to six pounds are lurking in shallow water throughout the lakes middle and lower reaches; many are on their spawning beds and any lure resembling a lizard or salamander is smacked as soon as it hits the water near a nesting site. Striped bass action was good on days when the weather cooperated, with the best action at Jett Island, Rose Valley, The Splits and just inside the mouth of Sturgeon Creek, locations where four-inch, pearl Sassy Shad rigged to half-ounce leadheads were deadly. Crappie to 13 inches were found beneath piers, among bridge pilings and in deeper waters adjacent to submerged trees and brush piles, where live minnows and tiny shad darts were quickly engulfed.

SHENNANDOAH RIVER -- The river rose a bit during last week's rain, but is settling down. Just before high water, smallmouth bass action near Bentonville Bridge was fair, and there were reports of good panfish and catfish catches made a short distance downriver.

Chesapeake Bay

UPPER BAY -- White perch to 10 inches remain plentiful in the Susquehanna River's lower reaches, particularly in the deeper waters just above the Interstate 95 bridge, where bottom-fished bloodworms and grass shrimp produced excellent results. At Deer Creek, this year's hickory shad spawning run is ending, and most of the fish caught during the past week have been smaller males. American shad to six pounds smacked shad darts cast in the tailrace waters of Conowingo Dam, and there were a few reported runoffs by anglers that hooked blueback herring, which were slammed by big stripers foraging in the tailrace waters as well.

Catch-and-release striped bass season ended at the Susquehanna Flats on Tuesday. The season was plagued by cold, muddy water conditions throughout the month. Striped bass season remains closed in the Chesapeake's upper reaches and all tributaries until June 1. The closure is to protect fish that are still spawning. Channel catfish to 12 pounds and white perch to 12 inches were caught from the shores of Elk Neck State Park and the pier at Town Park in the North East River, and from the decks of small boats in the Elk, Sassafras, Bohemia and Chester rivers, as well as much of the C&D Canal. Most of the perch were taken on bloodworms and grass shrimp, while catties seemed to prefer cut herring baits fished along the edges of drop-offs. White perch have migrated into the mouth of Bodkin Creek and up the Patapsco River to Fort Smallwood, locations where bottom-fished bloodworms and grass shrimp proved productive when fished during the first few hours of ebb tide.

BAY BRIDGE AREA -- The bay's water is still muddy at the twin spans, however, shorebound anglers fishing from the shores of Sandy Point State Park managed to sink their hooks into an occasional striper measuring to 32 inches. Across the bay at Mattapeake Landing, white perch to 10 inches and lots of throwback stripers to 22 inches were caught from the fishing pier on bottom-fished bloodworms and strips of razor clam.

CHOPTANK RIVER AREA -- The season's first croaker arrived at the river's mouth near Cook Point, fish ranging from 12 to 15 inches in length. Though water temperatures are still a bit chilly for good fishing action, a couple weeks of warm weather will trigger a feeding binge and send the fish upriver. Anglers fishing from the Route 50 bridge fishing piers caught a mix of white perch, throwback rockfish, big channel catfish to eight pounds, and there were unconfirmed rumors of croaker catches. Nearly all were taken on bottom-fished bloodworms, but cut herring baits lured the larger catfish.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA -- Local charter captains were elated when the past weekend's tournament yielded a whopping 44.9-pound rockfish, which produced a fat paycheck and a $60,000 boat for the winner. The Rod 'N' Reel Dock's headboat will begin running this weekend, fishing primarily for white perch, croaker and spot on weekends until Memorial Day, then switching to a daily and nightly schedule. For information, call 800-233-2080.

PATUXENT RIVER AREA -- Surfcasters using bloodworms landed huge rockfish from Cedar Point at Patuxent Naval Air Station, most after sundown. Trollers dragging tandem-rigged bucktails and umbrella rigs between Cedar Point and the Gas Docks caught large numbers of stripers ranging from 25 to 35 pounds, and a few that topped 40 pounds. Active weekend spots included: Buoy 77 at Little Cove Point, the HI and PR buoys east of Cedar Point and Point No Point Light. Lure casters managed to sink their hooks into several big stripers while tossing Sassy Shad under the lights at Goose Creek, Naval Air Station. Most were taken during the first few hours of ebb tide.

HONGA RIVER AREA -- Croaker and striped bass have migrated into the river's shallows, with some of the croaker measuring up to 18 inches and tipping the scales at nearly two pounds. Most of the stripers were found near Holland Island Bridge where Sassy Shad rigged to small bucktails lured fish to 24 inches. Trollers caught larger rockfish while dragging umbrella rigs along the bay's eastern channel edge between Hooper Island Light and Buoy 72A.

TANGIER SOUND AREA -- Croaker arrived in both Tangier and Pocomoke sounds, however, lower than normal water temperatures slowed bottom-fishing action somewhat. The few boats that could access the shallow flats near Fox Island and those venturing into the Nanticoke River's mouth near Roaring Point, locations where water temperatures were higher, managed to catch lots of big croaker while dunking bloodworms during high and ebb tides.

POINT LOOKOUT AREA -- Keeper-size rockfish to 32 inches were caught from Point Lookout Pier, the day marker just south of Saint George's Island, and off of Stewart's Pier in the Potomac by anglers fishing with bloodworms late in the day. Trollers caught stripers to 44 inches while dragging umbrella rigs along the bay's eastern and western channel edges, mainly over depths of 45 to 65 feet. The fish were suspended just beneath the surface, and most ranged from 32 to 36 inches in length, but there were a handful of exceptionally large fish taken just north of Smith Point Light.

CAPE CHARLES AREA -- Kiptopeke Pier anglers managed to catch a few small croaker and flounder, but the best action was on tautog at the nearby concrete Liberty Ships, where chunks of hard-shell crab lured tog to five pounds. Within the next few weeks, black drum should arrive at the Cabbage Patch, Smith Island Inlet at Magothy Bay and the lower reaches of Pocomoke and Tangier sounds.

Atlantic Coast

OCEAN CITY -- Tautog to three pounds were caught on bottom-fished sand fleas and green crab from among the resort city's inlet boulders, and the submerged boulders that make up the bulkhead between Second and Fourth streets on the bay. Live minnows and squid strips lured flounder to four pounds from the back bay's channel edges, with the best action taking place at the Thoroughfare, just north of Route 50 Bridge. Anglers fishing from the bridge at night caught rockfish to 32 inches while casting bucktails. In Assateague's surf, cut bunker baits lured a mix of stripers to 32 inches and good numbers of snapper bluefish to 15 inches. Fair numbers of dogfish (sand-shark) and skates were also found, frequently grabbing bunker baits before the less aggressive stripers had a chance to bite.

CHINCOTEAGUE & WACHAPREAGUE -- Flounder action continues to hold up well just inside the inlets of both ports, as well as most inlets to the south. Live minnows and squid strips lured flatties to six pounds from Quimby, Shipshoal and New inlets during the past week, but there was no offshore action to report.

OUTER BANKS -- The offshore fleet managed to get out a couple of days last week, despite windy conditions. Most returned to the docks with limit catches of yellowfin tuna, fair numbers of mid-size dolphin, a few wahoo and some king mackerel to 12 pounds. Pier and surf anglers caught a mix of snapper bluefish, puppy drum, sea mullet, swelling toads and small flounder. Striped bass action is heating up in Mann's Harbor, where bucktails and twisters proved effective when cast near bridge and pier pilings early and late in the day. Headboat anglers fishing out of Morehead City had limit catches of sea bass and modest numbers of big snapper.

[treed942000]

Fish Lines
By Gary Diamond
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, May 13, 2005; WE57
Fish Lines

On April 27-28, the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office hosted the seventh annual Chesapeake Bay Integrated Research Symposium in Laurel. Topics included the status of bay stocks and fisheries, including oyster, striped bass and soft-shell clam; monitoring and modeling of multiple species in the bay; research studies on the non-native Asian oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis); state-of-the art blue crab research; habitat restoration activities, including sea grasses and native oyster; and applying coastal and ocean observations to improve coastal decision-making. This year's symposium expanded the traditional focus on fisheries research to include other Bay Office programs that support NOAA's ecosystem approach to management. The Symposium Report is available online at http://noaa.chesapeakebay.net . Paper copies are available upon request by e-mailing [email protected].

What's the Catch?


Washington & Vicinity

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- It was a very good week for those who found fish at locations out of the wind. In Washington, Roaches Run, the entrance to Pentagon Lagoon, drop-offs in Washington Channel and locations adjacent to Blue Plains were fairly productive for anglers casting a variety of lures to hungry largemouth bass. In the Woodrow Wilson Bridge area, the Spoils, points in Smoot Bay and nearby sunken barges all provided fair largemouth bass catches for those casting tube lures and live minnows. Coves south of Belle Haven, Piscataway Creek and coves near Bull Town have been productive for largemouth bass and small stripers. Shallow-running crankbaits and spinnerbaits worked over grass beds produced excellent results, while crankbaits and tubes were best when fished along the edges of drop-offs. Mattawoman Creek and several areas nearby have been consistent for largemouth bass, particularly in the 6 mph zone. Grass beds just inside Chickamuxen Creek, jetties at Leesylvania State Park, grass beds in Aquia Creek and those in Wades Bay all were productive when the winds allowed boating anglers to work the shallows.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- The river is still cooler than normal, but most smallmouth bass have completed their spawning cycle. These fish are now on a feeding binge at several locations. Whites and Edwards ferries, Lander, Point of Rocks and the stretch of water between Brunswick and Dam No. 4 have been productive with some bronzebacks to 18 inches caught during the past week.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA.) -- Lots of 15- to 18-inch smallmouth bass caught and released at the Juniata River's mouth, in the main river's deeper pools behind islands and the fast waters between Fort Hunter and Duncannon. Most were taken on dark patterns of tube lures rigged to half-ounce leadheads and fished tight against the bottom.

Maryland

TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- Local angler Tami Behrens caught a 5-pound 8-ounce walleye at Triadelphia while casting a small lead-head jig rigged with a twister tail. Good catches of channel catfish were made at both impoundments, mostly on bottom-fished night crawlers and chicken livers.

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- Large schools of white perch are slowly making their way toward the mouths of major, mid-lake coves, locations where inline spinners trimmed with a morsel of night crawler and trolled at low speeds lured perch to 14 inches. The lake's shallows are loaded with chain pickerel and spawning largemouth bass, both of which will quickly slam a well-presented plastic lizard, shallow-running crankbaits and tube lures.

Virginia

LAKE ANNA -- On June 3, High Point Marina will begin its 10th season of Friday Night Tournaments. With as many as 70 teams fishing each week, this tournament has become quite popular. The events run Fridays until Aug. 26. Entry fees are $30 per two-person team, and each tournament pays back 100 percent of all entry fees (except the first tournament). The tournaments are sponsored by Kip Killmon Ford of Louisa, Va. In September, a classic tournament will be held, in which the top 30 teams for the year compete. For information, call 540-895-5249.

Cast a plastic lizard or crawfish in the lake's shallows and there's a 50-50 shot that a monster largemouth will slam it like a freight train. That's what happened to Carl Rhodes of Stuart's Draft, Va., who caught his second seven-pounder of the season last week. Andrew Clark of Spotsylvania sunk his hooks into one weighing 5 pounds 12 ounces. Most of the bass are still near spawning locations, beneath docks, at rocky points and creek mouths, locations where depths are two to four feet at most. If you're looking for big stripers, toss a Sassy Shad or jigging spoon near Stubbs or Willards's bridges, the mouth of Terry's Run or the shallows near Jett Island and it will get hit by a linesider ranging from five to 12 pounds.

SHENNANDOAH RIVER -- Smallmouth bass action near Bentonville Bridge was excellent. Most of these fish were taken on tube lures, small crankbaits, live crayfish and live minnows fished at the heads of pools. Scattered catches of panfish were made by shorebound anglers dunking night crawlers, while chicken livers lured lots of bullhead and channel catfish from deeper pools.

Chesapeake Bay

UPPER BAY -- Although the season is closed till June 1, the base of Conowingo Dam was the weekend spot for big stripers. Anglers casting small shad darts for American (white) shad in the dam's tailrace waters hooked shad and herring, fish that were quickly engulfed by huge rockfish looking for an easy meal. Shad darts trimmed with a morsel of night crawler lured loads of small white perch at the same location, fish that ranged from six to eight inches. Downriver, anglers continue to catch a few hickory shad while tossing shad darts near the mouth of Deer Creek, and there are a number of small white perch mixed with monster stripers at the same location. White perch to 10 inches, channel catfish to 10 pounds, and fair numbers of tidewater largemouths were found just above and below the Susquehanna River's Interstate 95 bridge, locations where bottom-fished bloodworms lured the perch, cut herring enticed the catties to bite, and shallow-running crankbaits tossed close to shore were met with explosive strikes from bass to seven pounds. Bottom-fished night crawlers cast from the shores of Elk Neck State Park produced a mixed bag of white perch, channel catfish and even an occasional rockfish. The stripers were subsequently released, but many of the catfish, some weighing more than 12 pounds, were weighed in at local tackle shops. Big catfish and mid-size white perch were also found in the lower Elk, North East, Sassafras and Bohemia rivers, locations where cut herring baits were effective for catfish, while night crawlers, clam snout, bloodworms and strips of razor clam proved productive.

BAY BRIDGE AREA -- The mouth of the Magothy River and upriver to Dobson Island was a good location to catch some chunky white perch. Most of the perch were eight to 10 inches and hit bottom-fished bloodworms fished along the river's northern channel edge. Trollers caught striped bass to 40 inches with large spoons, tandem bucktails and umbrella rigs along the channel edge between Mattapeake Landing and Bloody Point Light. The majority of the fish were found near Brickhouse Bar.

CHOPTANK RIVER AREA -- The river's lower reaches provided anglers with a bit of excitement when croaker to 20 inches appeared near Cook and Black Walnut points. The fish were caught by pleasantly surprised anglers drift-fishing with bloodworms and pieces of razor clam for white perch. Upriver, channel catfish to five pounds, mid-size white perch and throwback stripers were found beneath Route 50 bridge, where bloodworms, night crawlers and cut herring baits were effective late in the day during periods of moving tide.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA -- Another awesome week of striped bass fishing. Local charter captains left the docks at daybreak and within two hours most were headed home with limit catches of monster rockfish weighing 20 to 40 pounds. Captain Rob Hunter of Upper Chesapeake Charters took his wife, Billy Jo, fishing last week just a few minutes running time from Chesapeake Beach, where she caught a 50-inch rockfish that weighed 50 pounds.

PATUXENT RIVER AREA -- On days when the weather cooperated, trollers loaded up on big stripers while dragging umbrella rigs, tandem bucktails and large spoons along the bay's western channel edge between the river's mouth and the Gas Docks. Some boats headed south and found similar numbers of fish between The Targets and Point No Point Light. The fish were 32 to 36 inches on average at both locations, but a few topping 45 inches were brought back every day. Croaker to 20 inches were found inside the river's mouth and upriver to just above Route 4 bridge, mainly along the shallow edges of the main channel where water temperatures are a few degrees warmer. Bottom-fished bloodworms, squid strips and bait shrimp all proved effective, especially at night. White perch can be found at the mouths of most of the smaller tributaries upriver of the Naval Test Center.

HONGA RIVER AREA -- The river's shallows between Bentley Point and the river's mouth are alive with big croaker and mid-size striped bass. Most of the croaker were 12 to 16 inches, but a few 20-inchers were taken late in the day by local youngsters fishing from the piers with bloodworms. Most of the stripers were found from Lower Hooper Island Bridge upriver to above the Canal, mainly in depths of two to five feet where small bucktails trimmed with twister tails lured 20- to 28-inchers when fished during the first few hours of ebb tide.

TANGIER SOUND AREA -- Lower Tangier and Pocomoke sounds are both loaded with big croaker, some measuring 20 inches or larger. Most were found lurking in depths of 25 to 35 feet along channel edges, where bottom-fished bloodworms and squid strips were the baits of choice. Limit catches of stripers were also reported by area charter captains who opted to avoid the open bay's wind and waves and troll umbrella rigs in Tangier Sound's upper and middle reaches.

POINT LOOKOUT AREA -- When the winds were light, the local charter fleet ventured to the middle of Chesapeake Bay and landed stripers 28 to 44 inches in length and tipping the scales at up to 40 pounds. When the winds kicked up, the fleet took refuge in the Potomac along the lee shore, set up trolling patterns and continued to catch big stripers. Upriver, the mouth of the Wicomico River is loaded with croaker, some measuring more than 20 inches and weighing more than two pounds. Bottom-fished bloodworms, bait shrimp and squid strips did the deed at this location. Anglers fishing from the decks of Point Lookout State Park's fishing pier caught stripers to 34 inches and good numbers of croaker, and there have been a few reports of snapper bluefish to 15 inches as well.

CAPE CHARLES AREA -- Monster black drum have arrived at several locations near Cape Charles. Many top the 50-pound mark. A 93-pound behemoth measuring 51 inches long was caught by local angler "Little John" Quigley near Buoy 16 on a fresh sea clam. Good numbers of flounder were also caught in the Chesapeake's lower reaches between buoys 36 and 38, while at Kiptopeke's concrete Liberty Ships, tautog to eight pounds were hauled from amid the submerged wreckage. Large numbers of croaker to three pounds were found along the bay's eastern channel edge in depths of 30 to 40 feet at the Cabbage Patch, where squid strips produced doubles as fast as the lines hit bottom. The best action took place just after sunset.

Atlantic Coast

OCEAN CITY -- Bluefish to 15 pounds are swarming at the onshore lumps, including The Bass Grounds, First Lump, Jack Spot, Fenwick Shoals and a half-dozen unnamed locations. Trollers scored well on the blues while dragging large silver spoons, red surgical hose eels and Hoochy Trolls. Anglers fishing Ocean City's surf and back bays caught snapper bluefish to four pounds while fishing for flounder with squid strips and live minnows. Flounder action was good above Route 50 bridge and just south of Route 90 bridge, locations where live minnows and squid strips lured flatties to four pounds. Tautog to three pounds were pulled from between the submerged boulders of Ocean City Inlet and the bulkhead spanning the stretch of back bay between Second and Fourth streets.

CHINCOTEAGUE & WACHAPREAGUE -- Flounder fishing was fair at both inlets, while to the south at Quimby, Great Machapongo and Ship Shoal inlets the action was decidedly better and the fish were significantly larger. A week earlier, Chincoteague and Wachapreague had flatties to eight pounds, and the season's largest was a whopping 11-pound 7-ouncer caught by Michael Behe Sr., the current leader in the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament's flounder division.

OUTER BANKS -- While the brisk northeast winds began to warm the surf to some degree, bridge, pier and surf anglers reported modest catches of sea mullet, snapper bluefish and spot through most of the week.

[THE Spud]

 Noticed alot of talk about Striped Bass in the upper bay especially CONAWINGO DAM the 1st page of the lawbook for bay waters in MD states It is Illegal to ATTEMPT to catch Striped bass in the Susquahanna River. Haveing a camp in ths area I have seen tickets issued which cost the angler $250.00. Just my 2 cents

[treed942000]

Fish Lines
By Gary Diamond
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, May 20, 2005; WE69
Fish Lines

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's Atlantic Menhaden Management Board approved sending forward Draft Addendum II to Amendment 1 to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Menhaden for public comment and review. Most states will conduct public hearings on the addendum this summer. The draft was developed in response to concern regarding the possibility of localized depletion of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay. It presents options to limit the catch of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay and coastwide, including harvest caps, time frames and fishing gear. It also proposes initiating a research program to determine the status of menhaden populations in the Chesapeake Bay and assess whether localized depletion is occurring.

The board will meet in August to review public comment on the Draft Addendum and consider its final approval. Copies of the proposal will be available by the end of May and can be obtained via the commission's Web site at http://www.asmfc.org under "Breaking News" or by contacting the commission at 202-289-6400. Public comment will be accepted until mid-July and should be mailed to Nancy Wallace, Atlantic Menhaden Fishery Management Plan coordinator, at 1444 I St. NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005; faxed to 202-289-6051; or e-mailed to [email protected] (Subject line: Menhaden). For more information, call 202-289-6400 or e-mail [email protected] .

What's the Catch?

Washington & Vicinity

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- Good numbers of larger bass were caught just about everywhere, between Chickamuxen and Washington. Water temperatures are in the low 60s; the river is relatively clear, and some largemouth bass have reportedly been seen spawning. In Mattawoman Creek, full-moon tides created both very low and very high water conditions during the past few days. But big, fat bass were hauled from spatterdock beds above Slavin's Ramp and rocky points near the creek's mouth. The grass beds in Chickamuxen, as well as the nearby rocky points were productive for largemouth bass as well. Grass beds in the mouth of Aquia Creek, Wades Bay and Bulltown Cove were equally good. In the Woodrow Wilson Bridge area, several bass in the five-pound category were caught and released in the gravel pits by anglers casting tube lures.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- Water temperatures in the vicinity of Lander, Whites and Edwards ferries, Point of Rocks and Brunswick ranged from 62 to 65 degrees through much of the past week. Good catches of smallmouth bass to 18 inches were made in those areas using tube lures, live crawfish and hellgrammites. As water temperatures rise, aquatic insect hatches should provide fly-fishing enthusiasts with incredible fishing opportunities at the same locations while casting white miller and cadis imitations.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA.) -- Water levels at Harrisburg are down to 4.1 feet, which is a bit below normal this time of year. Smallmouth bass action, however, is red-hot at Duncannon and Montgomery Ferry, where tube lures cast behind mid-river islands and in the mouths of major creeks produced outstanding results. Bronzebacks to five pounds were not uncommon during the past week, and if conditions remain mild to moderate, the action should hold up for two additional months or more.

Maryland

TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- Crappie fishing remains good in both impoundments, particularly in the mid- and upper reaches of the lakes. Silver Spring resident Frank Gladden was dunking live minnows in Triadelphia Reservoir when his offering was inhaled by a whopping 1-pound 9.5-ounce crappie. Several chunky largemouth bass were caught and released from both impoundments during the past week, most taken on shallow-running crankbaits and live minnows. The upper reaches of both lakes continue to provide good to excellent catches of channel catfish, and nearly all were taken on bottom-fished night crawlers and chicken livers.

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- Excellent catches of white perch to 14 inches were reported by individuals trolling inline spinners trimmed with a piece of night crawler, and many ended their day with a mixed bag that included crappie and bluegill. Similar catches were also made above Dulaney Valley Bridge. There are still lots of chain pickerel and largemouth bass being caught from the shallows of most major coves, and the majority of those fish slammed shallow-running crankbaits and spinnerbaits fished in depths of just two to three feet. Uplake, tiny spoons and crankbaits lured lots of chunky rainbow trout from Gunpowder River a mile or more above Paper Mill Road Bridge, while in the ponds adjacent to the bridge, huge carp to 30 pounds are spawning.

Virginia

LAKE ANNA -- Largemouth bass action was excellent for weekend anglers, and several exceptionally large fish were caught and released by anglers casting spinnerbaits near piers and floating docks. Striper action has been best at the mouths of Sturgeon Creek, Pigeon Creek, Splits, Rose Valley and Stubbs Bridge, where topwater baits fished early and late in the day were extremely productive. Crappie action was fair, with most of the fish suspended in somewhat deeper water adjacent to bridges. Live minnows and tiny jigs worked in depths of 12 to 20 feet produced slabsides to 14 inches when fished tight against the pilings.

SHENANDOAH RIVER -- Anglers drift-fishing the river near Bentonville Bridge and the deeper pools downriver continue to catch good numbers of smallmouth bass while casting both artificial and live baits. Fly rodders got in on the action during the past week as well. Wet flies and nymphs cast to the deeper pools and close to shore produced a good mix of bronzebacks and panfish, some of which were relatively large.

Chesapeake Bay

UPPER BAY -- The upper bay is teeming with both migratory and resident fish, all of which seem to be hungry. While there were only modest catches of American shad at the base of the Susquehanna River's Conowingo Dam, there were good numbers of chunky white perch and herring there. When hooked, those fish became helpless prey for marauding stripers that ranged to 40 inches. Although it is illegal to fish for stripers at this location, it's nearly impossible to prevent them from grabbing anything that resembles a herring or perch struggling in the river's swift current. Downriver, white perch and stripers are congregated at the mouth of Deer Creek, and in the middle of the river downstream of Spencer Island near the I-95 bridge. Channel catfish to 12 pounds smacked cut herring baits fished just above the bridge, while just below the span, good catches of largemouth bass were reported from along the river's shores and the shores of Garrison Island, where shallow-running crankbaits lured bucketmouths to seven pounds. Lots of big bass were also being caught in the sheltered waters of the North East River and Susquehanna Flats, mainly in depths of just two to four feet where spinnerbaits and shallow-running crankbaits produced arm-jolting strikes. Several big stripers were also caught at the same locations by anglers dunking bloodworms and night crawlers for perch and channel catfish. Huge channel catfish to 15 pounds were found along drop-offs in the C&D Canal, and the Elk, Bohemia, Sassafras and Bush rivers, where cut herring baits were quite effective when fished during periods of moving tide. Eastern Neck Island Bridge continues to provide an occasional keeper-size rockfish to 32 inches, plus a number of small to mid-size white perch.

BAY BRIDGE AREA -- Trollers encountered some hefty striped bass lurking along the bay's eastern channel edge between Brick House Bar and Bloody Point Light, many of which ranged from 32 to 36 inches. Umbrella rigs and tandem bucktails trimmed with large Sassy Shad provided the best results, but when the fish were a bit finicky, a live white perch drifted along the bay's channel edge lured fish to 44 inches. Croaker to 18 inches arrived at the mouth of Eastern Bay where bottom-fished squid strips, bloodworms and strips of razor clam were productive early and late in the day. Inside Eastern Bay and up to the mouth of Kent Narrows, white perch to 10 inches lined the channel edges and foraged on bottom-fished bloodworms.

CHOPTANK RIVER AREA -- Big croaker, some measuring up to 21 inches, were caught from the river's shallows near Cook and Black Walnut points by boating anglers casting bloodworms and squid strips to depths of just two to four feet. Upriver, small stripers, white perch and some hefty channel catfish were caught from the Route 50 bridge fishing piers, mostly on bottom-fished bloodworms and cut herring baits.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA -- Area charter captains struggled to catch their limits of stripers during the past week, and while there were several exceptionally large rockfish put in the coolers, the majority of the larger fish seem to have spawned and headed south in their annual exodus of the Chesapeake. However, there is usually a contingent of stripers to 30 or more pounds that will remain in the bay's confines throughout the summer, lurking mainly in deepwater areas along the bay's channel edges.

PATUXENT RIVER AREA -- Croaker were caught nightly from the shores of Cedar Point at Patuxent Naval Air Station. These fish invade the shallows to feed at night, then migrate to deeper water at sunrise. Later in the summer they will be more common during daylight hours off the beach. Trollers hammered big stripers again this past weekend, many of which ranged from 32 to 44 inches and slammed umbrella rigs trimmed with chartreuse Sea Shad. The majority of the rockfish were found along the bay's channel edges, mainly south of Solomons. Regulations for striped bass fishing in Maryland waters changed Monday. Anglers can keep two fish per day measuring 18 inches or larger, but only one can measure more than 28 inches. Additionally, anglers fishing the mouth of the Patuxent and upriver to Point Patience may keep stripers, while the rest of the Patuxent will not be open to striped bass fishing until June 1.

HONGA RIVER AREA -- The river is loaded with big croaker, some measuring up to 21 inches. Most can be found lurking in relatively shallow water near Bentley Point, where bottom-fished bloodworms and squid strips produced limit catches of these tasty fish last weekend. Downriver near Lower Hooper Island Bridge, stripers ranging from 18 to 28 inches invaded the shallows to forage on anything smaller than themselves. This provided a great opportunity for budding saltwater fly-fishing enthusiast to test their skills on larger fish in shallow-water environments. Trollers worked the bay's eastern channel edge between Hooper Island Light and Buoy 72 during the past week, a stretch of water that produced rockfish to 44 inches for those dragging big spoons and umbrella rigs.

TANGIER SOUND AREA -- While modest catches of croaker were reported in Tangier and Pocomoke sounds' deeper areas, shallow-water anglers fishing at night loaded their coolers with fish to 21 inches as fast as their lines hit the water. Most were caught near the Nanticoke River's mouth at Roaring Point on bottom-fished bloodworms and squid strips. A few keeper-size weakfish were also mixed with the croaker, but the larger weakfish have yet to arrive.

POINT LOOKOUT AREA -- You don't have to exit the Potomac River to catch a limit of big striped bass to 40 inches, and you can head upriver to the Wicomico River's mouth and load the cooler with monster croaker to 20 inches. Anglers fishing from Point Lookout's public fishing pier and causeway at night caught loads of big croaker and a few keeper rockfish on bottom-fished bloodworms and squid strips.

CAPE CHARLES AREA -- Black drum to 35 pounds smacked fresh sea clam baits fished along the bay's eastern channel edge from Plantation Light south to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel's high rise bridge. Tautog to eight pounds were found lurking among submerged boulders that make up the CBBT's manmade islands, and among the concrete Liberty Ships wreckage at Kiptopeke State Park.

Atlantic Coast

OCEAN CITY -- Trollers using large spoons and red surgical hose eels caught slammer bluefish to 16 pounds at the First Lump and Bass Grounds. Slammer blues can also be found at the Jack Spot and Parking Lot, which will soon hold good populations of bluefin tuna and mako shark when water temperatures rise 10 more degrees. Shorebound anglers fishing from the beaches of Assateague State Park caught a mix of bluefish to six pounds and rockfish to 40 pounds while dunking cut bunker baits during high and ebb tides. Backbay anglers fishing north of Route 50 Bridge caught flounder to four pounds.

CHINCOTEAGUE & WACHAPREAGUE -- Flounder catches at most inlets in Virginia's barrier islands were good, with flatfish to eight pounds slamming live minnows and squid strips fished in the deeper channels just inside the inlets. The lumps outside the inlets all hold slammer bluefish to 16 pounds that will hit any lure trolled within range.

OUTER BANKS -- Pier and surf anglers reported a mix of spot, sea mullet, snapper bluefish and an occasional flounder, which, considering the past week's winds, was not at all bad.

[treed942000]

Fish Lines
By Gary Diamond
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, May 27, 2005; WE56

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service has announced a new state record for striped bass for the Atlantic Division of the Maryland Sportfishing Tournament. On May 16, while fishing in the surf at Assateague State Park, Allen Sklar of Bishopville caught a 50-inch striped bass weighing 52 pounds 14.4 ounces. The previous record was a 52-inch striped bass weighing 52 pounds 8 ounces, also caught in the surf at Assateague. State records for striped bass are determined by weight.

What's the Catch?


Washington & Vicinity

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- Largemouth bass fishing was great in the Woodrow Wilson Bridge vicinity, where tube lures and stickbaits lured dozens of big, healthy bass from the gravel pits. The river's water temperature is still in the low 60s and water clarity was normal for this time of year, but almost three inches of rain fell Friday and Saturday, bringing nasty water conditions through much of the week. Largemouth bass fishing in the District was not good, but areas between Fort Washington and Marshall Hall improved somewhat. Grass beds in Piscataway, Bryans Cove, Marshall Hall and Pomonkey Creek hold aggressive bass best fished during low water with spinnerbaits and stickbaits. Mattawoman Creek has been pretty steady, especially within the 6 mph zone, where shore grass, spatterdock and submersed wood held fair numbers of aggressive largemouths. Channel catfish to 12 pounds were found throughout the river's District sector, as well as in Washington Channel and the mouths of most creeks upriver of Route 301 Bridge. While there are still some white perch available at the same locations, most are smaller males measuring six to 10 inches.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- High, muddy water from the past week's rains slowed smallmouth bass action to a snail's pace at most of the traditional locations.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA) -- Smallmouth bass action was great between Fort Hunter and Harrisburg until the rains hit. Water quality rapidly deteriorated in the main river, but some of the tributary mouths continue to provide good smallmouth bass action despite marginal conditions. Tube lures rigged to half-ounce leadheads produced the best results when fished slowly close to the bottom.

Maryland

TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- Bernard Burke of Laurel was fishing with live minnows at Rocky Gorge last week when his bait was hit by a crappie that tipped the scales at 1 pound 11 ounces. Crappie measuring nine to 12 inches were caught from both impoundments, mostly on live minnows suspended beneath floats and fished from shore. Fair catches of channel catfish were made from the upper reaches of both lakes, where chicken livers and bottom-fished night crawlers provided good results. Only a handful of largemouth bass were reported during the past week, but this can be attributed to the end of the spawning cycle. Within the next few weeks these fish should begin actively feeding once again.

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- It was another great weekend of plug casting action. Anglers casting shallow-running crankbaits and spinnerbaits close to the impoundment's rocky shores caught a mix of largemouth bass to five pounds and chain pickerel to three pounds. Trollers using inline spinners trimmed with a morsel of night crawler caught a mix of white perch to 12 inches, crappie to 10 inches and lots of chunky bluegill.

Virginia

LAKE ANNA -- The lake's largemouth bass population seems to be coming off their spawn in grand style, slamming topwater plugs fished in the shallows of most creeks and coves. Daniel Carter of Staunton, Va., was among the many anglers weighing in larger bass this past week with his 5-pound 12-ounce fish pulled from the shallows. Striped bass action varied during the past week, with weather conditions being the determining factor. On days when the sun was out, trollers and plug casters alike caught lots of fish. The best catches were reported at The Splits and uplake near Stubbs and Dillard bridges. The stripers seem to be working their way toward Terry's Run. Anglers reported their best catches from the lake's mainstem using Sassy Shad, Sea Shad, Storm Wild Eye Shad, and three-quarter-ounce spoons fished in depths of eight to 15 feet. Live bait also was working well. Crappie continue to hit small shad darts, tube lures and live minnows fished near deepwater piers, brush piles and bridge pilings.

SHENANDOAH RIVER -- Some anglers reported catching a dozen or more bronzebacks ranging from 12 to 17 inches near Bentonville Bridge and locations downriver using shallow-running crankbaits that resembled small yellow perch. A significant number of these fish reportedly had sores or lesions of various sizes and descriptions, and there have been fish kills involving smallmouth bass at several locations. In most fisheries, where sores and lesions are present, this is usually a reflection of water quality and inadequate forage. Is this the case with the Shenandoah?

Chesapeake Bay

UPPER BAY -- The Susquehanna Flats and Susquehanna River is alive with striped bass ranging from 10-inch throwbacks to 36-inch throwbacks, fish that must be released until summer season kicks off June 1. Anglers fishing for white perch in the Susquehanna River at the base of Conowingo Dam and mouth of Deer Creek frequently report huge stripers wolfing down small white perch they're attempting to land while fishing from the river's shores. The same story is being told by anglers fishing from the shores of Elk Neck State Park at Turkey Point where bottom-fished bloodworms produced white perch to 10 inches that were attacked by marauding stripers looking for an easy meal. Tidewater largemouth bass action at the Susquehanna Flats, lower Susquehanna River, North East River and lower Elk River has been the best in more than two decades. Tournament anglers weighed in bass to seven pounds during the past two weeks, and winning weights frequently topped 20 pounds combined weight for five-fish entries. Most were caught using shallow-running crankbaits, tube lures rigged to quarter-ounce leadheads and spinnerbaits fished close to docks, rock jetties and partly submerged trees. Channel catfish to 14 pounds were hauled from the C&D Canal, Elk, North East, Bohemia, Sassafras, Bohemia and lower Susquehanna rivers during the past week. Most were taken on cut herring baits and bottom-fished night crawlers. Trollers found legal-size striped bass near Love Point, the Mary Jane, Belvedere Shoals and the north end of the Dumping Grounds, fish ranging from 18 to 32 inches that smacked dark-colored surgical hose eels, large spoons and umbrella rigs trimmed with large, chartreuse Sassy Shad and fished along drop-offs.

BAY BRIDGE AREA -- White perch to 10 inches and small stripers are beginning to school among the bridge pilings and the submerged boulders that make up the structure's manmade islands. Bottom-fished bloodworms fished tight against the pilings and boulders produced modest weekend catches of both. Scattered catches of white perch were reported in the lower Magothy River near Dobson Island and at Snake Reef just east of Gibson Island. White perch were found in Eastern Bay and Kent Narrows, where bottom-fished bloodworms lured fish to 10 inches. A few croaker were caught near the mouth of Miles River and along the channel north of Parson's Island on bottom-fished bloodworms.

CHOPTANK RIVER AREA -- Croaker to 20 inches entered the river during the past week and migrated upstream as far as the Route 50 bridge at Cambridge. Most were found along the river's channel edge between Cook Point and Castle Haven, where bottom-fished bloodworms and squid strips proved productive late in the day and into early evening. Some striped bass to 28 inches have moved into the river's shallows to forage on small white perch, fish that will smack a bucktail trimmed with a white twister tail and fished in depths of just two to four feet at high tide. Channel catfish and white perch are still stacked beneath the Route 50 bridge, but most of the perch are too small to keep.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA -- Most of the local charter fleet steamed south to find stripers, trolling mainly between the mouth of Parker's Creek and the Gas Docks. The majority managed to catch stripers from 18 to 32 inches, but many struggled to catch their two-fish per angler daily limit.

PATUXENT RIVER AREA -- Charter captains caught mixed sizes of stripers from 18 to 40 inches while trolling umbrella rigs on both sides of the bay's main channel from the river's mouth south to Point No Point. The best action was on croaker, which are still mainly in shallow water. Croaker to 21 inches were caught from the shores of Patuxent Naval Air Station, the public fishing pier just above Route 4 bridge and by boating anglers fishing depths of four to six feet relatively close to the river's mouth.

HONGA RIVER AREA -- The river's shallows hold large croaker to 20 inches, and striped bass to 30 inches, both of which will smack a small bucktail trimmed with a chunk of peeler crab. Bottom-fished bloodworms, bait shrimp and squid strips produced limit catches of croaker from the river's mouth upriver to Bentley Point.

TANGIER SOUND AREA -- The shallows of both Tangier and Pocomoke sounds provided light-tackle anglers with lots of excitement when big schools of croaker and small stripers moved into depths of two to four feet to forage on anything resembling a worm or minnow. Good catches were reported in the shallows Fox Island, Watts Island, Janes Island and just inside the Nanticoke River at Roaring Point, with the best action right after sunset. Trollers managed to sink their hooks into a few keeper rockfish while dragging umbrella rigs along Tangier Sound's channel edges, while the guts and sloughs of Smith and Tangier islands provided a few black drum and channel bass to 35 pounds.

POINT LOOKOUT AREA -- When the weather cooperated, charter captains found striped bass along both sides of the bay's main shipping channel. Most were 18 to 32 inches, but an occasional 40-plus-incher was found among them, fish that slammed trolled umbrella rigs, tandem bucktails and large, silver spoons. Croaker catches were fair to good for evening anglers fishing Point Lookout State Park's causeway and public fishing pier with bloodworms and squid strips, while up the Potomac River at the Wicomico River's mouth, croaker to 22 inches smacked squid strips and bloodworms drifted along the edges of drop-offs.

CAPE CHARLES AREA -- Great croaker action, with most fish 16 to 20 inches in length and caught just a short distance from the bay's eastern channel edge. Scattered catches of black drum to 70 pounds were reported by a few local charter captains and tackle shops, and there were a handful of red drum caught near Kiptopeke. Tautog were found among the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel's submerged boulders at the Fourth and Third islands, and among the wrecks at Kiptopeke's concrete Liberty Ships. Chunks of hard-shell crab and clam strips produced tog to eight pounds. Keeper-size flounder were found in the shallows of Kiptopeke and Plantation flats, where live killfish and squid strips lured flatties to five pounds.

Atlantic Coast

CAPE HENLOPEN/INDIAN RIVER -- Despite the recent weather, fishing has been very good. The flounder bite has been strong at the Lewes/Rehoboth Canal's northern entrance in Lewes, and also in Indian River Bay just inside Indian River Inlet, locations where live killfish and squid strip combinations lured flatties to five pounds. Bluefish to 30 inches were caught from the surf of Delaware's National Seashore Park, Indian River Inlet and Cape Henlopen Pier, mostly on cut bunker baits fished during high and ebb tides. Local angler John Hazzard was fishing Delaware Bay's lower reaches when he nailed a 72-pound black drum taken on a clam bait at the Coral Beds. Earlier in the week Hunter and Kevin Hine fished Broadkill Slough, where they, too, caught large, black drum. Hunter nailed a 60.5-pounder, and Kevin weighed in a 53-pounder and a 19.75-pound striper.

OCEAN CITY -- Headboat anglers enjoyed good catches of sea bass to four pounds while working bottom-fished squid strips at some of the offshore wrecks. Most of the local charter boats spent the weekend chasing slammer bluefish to 12 pounds at the Bass Grounds and First Lump, while a few ventured farther offshore in hopes of hooking up with blue sharks and possibly the season's first mako. Shorebound anglers fishing from the Route 50 bridge caught a mix of striped bass to 34 inches and an occasional weakfish to four pounds while casting Tsunami lures at night. During the day, bluefish to six pounds were taken from the bridge and inside Ocean City inlet by anglers casting bucktails trimmed with white and chartreuse twister tails. Surf fishing at Assateague Island was excellent with a mix of big stripers and chopper bluefish smacking bunker baits fished in the suds during high and ebb tides. Some of the bluefish tipped the scales at nearly 10 pounds. Steven Behan of Crofton caught a 34-inch bluefish while surf fishing with cut bunker.

CHINCOTEAGUE & WACHAPREAGUE -- Flounder action once again picked up at both inlets with flatties to eight pounds taken on minnow/squid combinations fished along channel edges just inside the inlets. Most of the barrier island inlets hold good numbers of bluefish ranging from 12 to 35 inches.

OUTER BANKS -- Beaches and piers of the Nags Head area provided weekend anglers with a mix of snapper bluefish, sea mullet, spot, specked trout, weakfish and a few puppy drum. Similar catches were reported by shorebound anglers fishing Oregon Inlet and south at Cape Point.

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Fish Lines
By Gary Diamond
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, June 3, 2005; WE69
Fish Lines

Washington & Vicinity

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- Tuesday and Wednesday's heavy rains produced high, muddy water throughout the basin. However, this didn't seem to affect largemouth bass fishing much. The bass are still in post-spawn mode, foraging heavily at some locations. In the District, Washington Channel, Pentagon Lagoon and most bridge foundations were productive locations to cast various, dark-colored and noisy lures for largemouth and stripers. In the Wilson Bridge vicinity, bass are abundant in The Spoils gravel pit where tube lures and stick baits were effective. Coves and barges south of Belle Haven have been productive, grass beds in Broad and Piscataway creeks held good numbers of chunky largemouths, as did Bulltown Cove and Marshall hall area. Mattawoman Creek, provided good bass action for anglers, while Chickamuxen Creek's grass beds have been sporadic. Channel catfish to huge proportions can be found throughout the District segment of the river, many of which top the 10-pound mark. Bottom-fished, cut herring baits produced the best results, even when fished from shore. Some of the best catches were reported near Fletcher's Landing, Washington Channel and several upriver locations just a short distance from Great Falls. Good catches of keeper-size stripers ranging four to eight pounds were made on cut herring baits, bloodworms and shallow-running crankbaits fished from shore and small, rental boats.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- By the end of the weekend the river's upper reaches had returned to near normal levels and smallmouth bass fishing resumed in the vicinity of Whites Ferry, Edwards Ferry, Point of Rocks, Brunswick and Lander, locations where bronzebacks ranging from eight to 12 inches smacked tube lures, live hellgrammites and live minnows fished behind underwater ledges in the heads of deeper pools.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA) -- River levels have fallen to seasonal norms, which is a bit too shallow for jet-boats, but perfect for anglers fishing from canoes and kayaks. Good catches of smallmouth bass to four pounds were made at the mouth of the Juniata River, mainly by anglers casting dark patterns of tube lures rigged to half-ounce leadheads. Downriver, smallmouth bass action in the upper reaches of Conowingo Lake near the mouth of Muddy Creek was good, particularly just inside the creek's mouth where tiny shad darts trimmed with live minnows lured bronzebacks to three pounds from undercuts in the creek's banks.

Maryland

TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- Great weekend for crappie anglers, particularly in the upper reaches of both impoundments. Crappie to 14 inches smacked live minnows lip-hooked to the back end of small shad darts and cast near partly submerged trees and boulders, locations that also held fair numbers of mid-size largemouth bass.

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- White perch and chain pickerel dominated the weekend's action, particularly in the impoundment's middle reaches where trollers using small, inline spinners trimmed with a morsel of night crawler caught perch to 12 inches, bluegills to 10 inches and pickerel to four pounds. Most of the perch were suspended just a few feet beneath the surface over depths of 25 to 45 feet, while the pickerel seemed to prefer hiding inside the edges of grass beds near the mouths of major coves. Good catches of largemouth bass were reported by plug casters tossing shallow-running crankbaits and spinnerbaits close to the lake's rocky shores uplake of Dulaney Valley Bridge. Bridge anglers did not fare well on crappie during the holiday weekend, but those venturing upriver to the fast flowing waters above Paper Mill Bridge caught a mix of rainbow trout, fat bluegill, a few crappie and good numbers of smallmouth bass.

Virginia

LAKE ANNA -- Early morning anglers casting shallow-running crankbaits and tube lures beneath piers and near bridge pilings in Contrary, Sturgeon and Pigeon creeks caught largemouth bass to six pounds. By 11 a.m., however, the jet skis and boats were out in force and fishing came to a halt. Later in the day, just prior to sundown, the bass again turned on and catches resumed. Uplake, Jett Island, The Splits and a half-dozen nearby locations all proved productive for striped bass to eight pounds. Nearly all were taken on four-inch Sassy Shad rigged to half-ounce leadheads. Crappie remain plentiful, but have migrated to deeper water. Look for the larger fish in depths of 12 to 20 feet.

SHENNANDOAH RIVER -- Smallmouth bass action near Bentonville Bridge was reported as fair for most anglers float-fishing this stretch of river. Bronzebacks to 14 inches smacked a variety of multicolored lures with stark contrasting color patterns. While red and white combinations seemed to produce the most fish, some of the darker colors produced larger fish.

Chesapeake Bay

UPPER BAY -- Cooler than normal water temperatures seems to be holding large concentrations of river herring in many of the upper Chesapeake's creeks and smaller tributaries. This is now providing some of the best striped bass action seen at the Susquehanna Flats and Susquehanna River in several years. Stripers to 30 inches slammed Bass Assassins, shallow-running crankbaits and topwater plugs fished in depths of just three to five feet in the lower North East River near Rocky Point, Red Point, and on the north side at Carpenter Point. The same locations provided tidewater largemouth bass to seven pounds, which is extremely large for the species in this particular area. Channel catfish to 12 pounds were found along channel edges in the North East, Elk, Sassafras, Bohemia and Susquehanna rivers, locations where cut herring, night crawlers, clam snout and chicken livers produced excellent results. Most of the larger white perch have migrated down the bay and taken up residence along the shallow segments adjacent to the main shipping channel's eastern edge. Good catches were reported at Tollchester Beach, Swan Point Bar, Eastern Neck Island Bridge, and across the bay near the Patapsco River's mouth from among the submerged boulders at Fort Carroll. Bottom-fished bloodworms, grass shrimp and strips of razor clam were the most productive baits.

BAY BRIDGE AREA -- Trollers managed to sink their hooks into rockfish to 29 inches while fishing east of Hacketts Bar near the bay's western channel edge, and to the south near Thomas Point Light. Tandem-rigged, parachute bucktails trimmed with pearl twister tails was the preferred combination, but a few legal-size stripers were also taken on mid-size silver spoons and black surgical hose eels. White perch to 10 inches were found among the pilings of the old Bay Bridge span mainly in locations where rocks surround the pilings.

CHOPTANK RIVER AREA -- From Cook Point upriver to Route 50 Bridge in Cambridge anglers reported varying degrees of success on big croaker, some of which measured up to 21 inches. Most were found in depths ranging from 20 to 35 feet where bottom-fished bloodworms, bait shrimp and squid strips were effective. The shallows of the river's lower and middle reaches provided some keeper-size rockfish for plug casters tossing shallow-running crankbaits and small bucktails trimmed with a chartreuse twister tail, fish up to 24 inches that were foraging in depths of just two to four feet near Black Walnut and Cook Points.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA -- Most of the area's charter boats trolled the bay's channel edge between Breezy Point and the Gas Docks with an array of large lures, and the majority had no trouble catching their limit of striped bass from 18 to 36 inches. Some captains, however, also tried their luck chumming near The Diamonds, The Gooses and a few other middle bay lumps, which produced larger numbers of rockfish, many of which measured just under the 18-inch minimum.

PATUXENT RIVER AREA -- Big stripers are numerous and trollers scored on a few exceptionally large fish while dragging an array of lures near the mouth of the Patuxent River. However, the best action is south of The Targets. The bigger fish were taken at the beginning of ebb tide early in the afternoon. Trolling in the mid bay from Buoy's 72-A to 72 is very good, but those venturing further south to Smith Point discovered larger schools of bigger fish. Smaller stripers invaded the lower Patuxent River's shallows, locations where bucktails trimmed with twisters can cast near points and drop-offs lured rockfish to 20 inches during the first few hours of ebb tide. Croaker fishing improves daily, particularly at the mouth of the Patuxent near the three-legged marker. Local angler John Fuchs landed 18 croaker at this location in one morning. Croaker catches were excellent also at Green Holly, Seven Gables, and between Fishing Point and marker No. 7.

HONGA RIVER AREA -- The river's shallows continue to produce good catches of croaker and small stripers. Most of the stripers ranged from 14-inch throwbacks to 22-inch keepers, and the majority were found from Bentley Point downriver to the pound net stakes. Similar catches were reported by anglers fishing bucktails trimmed with twister tails in the shallows of Bloodsworth and Holland islands.

TANGIER SOUND AREA -- Red drum to 35 pounds and black drum to 50 pounds were found in the guts and sloughs of Smith, South Marsh and Tangier islands, locations where chunks of peeler crab hooked to half-ounce bucktails produced modest numbers of both species during high and ebb tides.

POINT LOOKOUT AREA -- Most of the area's charter and private boats have switched from trolling for rockfish to chumming, and most of the activity takes place at the same locations. Chummers caught a mix of striped bass from 18 to 25 inches and bluefish from 12 to 18 inches from chumslicks established just above Smith Point Light at The Triangle, and across the bay along the bay's eastern channel edge near the U.S. Navy Target Ship American Mariner. Anglers fishing from Point Lookout State Park's pier and causeway caught croaker to 20 inches while fishing with squid strips and bait shrimp after sundown.

CAPE CHARLES AREA -- Croaker from 12 to 22 inches remain plentiful at Plantation Flats and down the bay to Kiptopeke Flats, locations where huge numbers of monster croaker were taken while drifting squid strips and pieces of clam early and late in the day. Several monster black drum were caught over the weekend, the largest a 92-pounder taken near buoy C-16 on a sea clam. Several huge red drum to 50 inches were also caught and released along the bay's eastern channel edge, most taken on chunks of peeler crab and cut bunker baits. Flounder to six pounds arrived near Buoy 36A and The Cell, locations where minnow/squid combinations proved highly effective when worked slowly close to the bottom. Flounder to 26 inches were caught at the CBBT, mainly from the submerged boulders of the Third and Fourth Islands, and from to the west from along the edges of the Small Boat Channel. Weakfish to 12 pounds were also found at the same locations.

Atlantic Coast

CAPE HENLOPEN/INDIAN RIVER -- Good catches of flounder were reported at several locations inside Indian River Inlet, mainly just above the Route 1 Bridge where minnow/squid combinations drifted with the ebbing tide lured flatfish to six pounds. Similar size flatties were caught at the mouth of the canal near Cape Henlopen, from the decks of Cape Henlopen Pier, and by small boat anglers fishing both sides of Delaware Bay's mouth.

OCEAN CITY -- Striped bass to 36 inches were taken both from the surf and Route 59 Bridge at night. Those caught from the bridge were taken on Tsunami bucktails tossed near the bridge pilings, while surf caught rockfish were beached using cut bunker baits. Bluefish to 33 inches were caught from Ocean City and Assateague's surf, and somewhat smaller fish to five pounds were found in the back bays. Flounder fishing remains good at The Thoroughfare, where live minnows produced flatties to four pounds. Offshore, headboat anglers loaded their coolers with limit catches of chunky sea bass to more than five pounds. Trollers caught huge numbers of slammer bluefish ranging 10 to 13 pounds at the Jack Spot, First Lump and Bass Grounds.

CHINCOTEAGUE & WACHAPREAGUE -- Flounder fishing remains good just inside most inlets, particularly along channel edges where live minnows and squid strips drift-fished during ebb tide lured flatties to eight pounds. A few small stripers were also found in the inlets as well, but keepers were a bit rare. Lots of snapper bluefish both in the nearby surf and the back bays of both locations, while offshore headboat anglers loaded their coolers with a mix of sea bass and tautog.

OUTER BANKS -- Pier and surf anglers caught fair numbers of snapper bluefish, a few speckled trout, sea mullet and some throwback flounder over the holiday weekend. Offshore, on days when the weather cooperated, mixed bags consisting of yellowfin tuna, gaffer dolphin and an occasional wahoo made up much of the action.

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Sorry, no fish lines again this week.  Mr. Diamond must be on vacation or something.

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Note:  This is last weeks report.

Fish Lines
By Gary Diamond
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, June 17, 2005; WE57
Fish Lines

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will meet June 29 at 7 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel in Annapolis to gather public comment on an addendum to the menhaden management plan. The addendum includes options to limit the catch of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic Coast while research is conducted to determine if localized depletion of menhaden is occurring in the bay.

Public comment will be accepted until 5 p.m. Aug. 1 and should be sent to Nancy Wallace, menhaden species coordinator for the commission. For more information, contact Marty Gary, Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service, at 410-260-8289 or e-mail [email protected] .

What's the Catch?

Washington & Vicinity

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- Water temperatures are rising, so don't be surprised to find algae blooms exploding throughout the river's middle reaches from Blue Plains downriver to the Route 301 bridge. Scattered catches of largemouth bass were made near Fort McNair wall, in the main river near the railroad bridge foundations, Key Bridge and among pilings at old wharf locations. Tube lures and crankbaits provided the best action, particularly early in the day. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge grass beds have not been productive this season, but the Spoils, Fox Ferry Point, some shallow-water bridge foundations and drop-offs in Smoot Bay provided fair catches of largemouth bass on days when the winds were light. Belle Haven Cove, Hog Island and grass beds in Broad and Piscataway all provided modest catches of largemouth bass. Downriver, Mattawoman, Chickamuxen, Aquia and Nanjemoy creeks were where small jigs and soft plastics pitched to milfoil produced excellent results. A school of stripers arrived just below Fletcher's Landing last week, fish that measured 18 to 24 inches and hit a host of lures trolled just beneath the surface. As water temperatures rise, look for these fish to migrate upriver in search of gizzard shad and other forage species that will take up residence in the fast waters downriver of Great Falls. Channel catfish to 10 pounds and huge numbers of monster carp can be found throughout the river's upper and middle reaches. Cut herring baits, chicken livers and night crawlers will all work for the catties, while the carp tend to consume dough balls, whole-kernel yellow corn and bottom-fished night crawlers.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- White's Ferry, Edwards Ferry, Lander, Balls Bluff and the Maryland side of Harrison all hold large numbers of smallmouth bass, but most are quite small, measuring just 6 to 10 inches at best. An occasional bronzeback to 18 inches is usually found lurking in the shade of underwater ledges at the heads of deeper pools, fish that will smack a stream-size crankbait or tube lure fished tight against the structure.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA.) -- Smallmouth bass fishing remains good from Fort Hunter downriver to Harrisburg, and still farther downriver in most of the impounded areas. Most of the fish are holding close to shore in fast-moving water, and at the mouths of many spring-fed creeks, where live minnows, shallow-running crankbaits and tiny tube lures attracted fish to 20 inches. Most of Conowingo Lake's larger coves are loaded with monster carp, fish that will hit bottom-fished baits such as Velveeta cheese, whole-kernel yellow corn and dough balls. Carp to 30 pounds were caught and released near Peach Bottom nuclear power plant during the past week.

Maryland

TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- Carlin Hetzler of Ellicott City was fishing Triadelphia Reservoir with live minnows when a hefty 1-pound 1.5-ounce crappie smacked the bait. Edward Richardson of Laurel landed a 14-pound 4-ounce channel catfish while bottom fishing with night crawlers.

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- While a brisk breeze produced some problems for boating anglers during the past week, most of those venturing out early in the day managed to get in a few hours of productive fishing. Trollers caught loads of white perch from 10 to 13 inches in length that smacked inline spinners trimmed with a morsel of night crawler and fished over deep water. Plug casters continue to catch a good mix of chain pickerel and largemouth bass, mainly with tube lures and shallow-running crankbaits near submerged, rock outcrops and along the edges of grass beds. Crappie fishing from Dulaney Valley Bridge continues to be slower than normal.

Virginia

LAKE ANNA -- Largemouth bass are in their summer haunts, which translates to deepwater fishing with Carolina rigged soft plastic lures, or deep-diving crankbaits. There are some reports of a good topwater bite during early morning, but most of the action takes place in depths of 10 to 12 feet or more, especially when the sun gets high.

SHENANDOAH RIVER -- Smallmouth bass action was decent in the river near Bentonville, Va., depending on anglers' skill levels. Most of the fish caught were taken on tiny, stream-size crankbaits that measure just an inch or less in size. The key to success was to work them slowly, close to the bottom in the deeper pools and near underwater ledges.

Chesapeake Bay

UPPER BAY -- The season's best striped bass action is just getting underway at the base of the Conowingo hydroelectric dam, where live-lined white perch and bluegills lured rockfish to 28 inches. Most were caught in the dam's tailrace waters during periods of electrical generation. Downriver, trollers found a few stripers below the mouth of Deer Creek and in the fast waters east of Spencer Island, where shallow-running crankbaits trolled at slow speeds lured fish to 20 inches. Good catches of smallmouth bass were made just above Roberts Island while casting tube lures and shallow-running crankbaits behind partly submerged boulders. Tidewater largemouth bass remain plentiful in the North East River's lower and middle reaches, while at the Susquehanna Flats, only a handful of legal-size stripers were caught by weekend anglers. Most of the rockfish were found near Red and Rocky points, where Bass Assassins fished slowly close to the bottom lured fish to 22 inches. Channel catfish seem to be everywhere you drop a piece of bait, with the largest fish taking cut herring. Most of the catties were found along channel edges in the North East, lower Susquehanna, Elk, Bohemia and Sassafras rivers, and some tipped the scales at more than 10 pounds.

BAY BRIDGE AREA -- White perch from six to 10 inches have taken up residence among the shallow-water pilings of the Chesapeake Bay bridges, mainly in depths of eight to 15 feet where bottom-fished bloodworms lured fair numbers of both perch and small stripers. Better catches of larger perch were reported from the confines of Kent Narrows, the mouth of Crab Alley Bay and inside Wye River, where most of the perch averaged 10 to 12 inches. The mouth of Eastern Bay and up the bay to Parson's Island provided good bottom-fishing action for a mix of white perch and big croaker. Some of the croaker measured 18 inches in length, and the largest were caught at night on bottom-fished bait shrimp and squid strips.

CHOPTANK RIVER AREA -- Chummers found lots of rockfish ranging from throwbacks to 20 inches at The Hill, The Diamonds and The Gooses. If you were on the water at daybreak, the Stone Rock and Sharps Island Flats held a few black drum to 50 pounds smacking a large chunk of peeler crab or whole soft-shell crab drifted in depths of 25 to 35 feet. Croaker to 20 inches were caught by nighttime anglers along the river channel edges from Cook Point upriver to the Route 50 bridge, and nearly all were taken on bottom-fished bait shrimp and squid strips. Stripers to 20 inches were hauled from the river's shallows by anglers casting bucktails into depths of two to five feet early and late in the day near Cook and Black Walnut points.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA -- Headboat anglers enjoyed another good week of bottom-fishing action for croaker and an occasional spot. Most of the best croaker action took place at night when fish to 18 inches were taken on bottom-fished bloodworms and squid strips. Charter boats have primarily switched to chumming for striped bass and snapper bluefish, both of which were found along the bay's channel edges at The Gooses and near the mouth of Parker's Creek.

PATUXENT RIVER AREA -- Croaker fishing in the river's confines at night was good for anglers drifting the channel edges from the Route 4 bridge downriver to the river's mouth. Squid strips, bait shrimp, bloodworms and strips of razor clam were all productive when fished from sundown through midnight. Schools of snapper bluefish and small rockfish were found at Cedar Point Rip, where anglers casting small topwater plugs, jigging spoons and streamer flies caught bluefish to 18 inches and similar-size rockfish.

HONGA RIVER AREA -- The river's shallows continue to provide good striped bass action, but the fish seem to be getting a bit smaller, and many measured less than minimum legal size. Bucktails trimmed with chartreuse twister tails and bright-colored streamer flies produced the best action during high and ebb tides. Croaker are stacked near Richland Point Buoy and along the bay's eastern channel edge south of Hooper Island Light, with some of the fish caught at night measuring more than 20 inches.

TANGIER SOUND AREA -- While there have been a few reports of croaker action in the Tangier and Pocomoke sounds, most of the largest fish and best catches continue to be made at the south end of the Cut Channel, 15 miles south of Tangier Island Light. The sound's shallows, however, now hold fair numbers of black drum, some keeper-size stripers and even a few speckled trout.

POINT LOOKOUT AREA -- Chummers scored well on a mix of keeper-size striped bass and snapper bluefish while fishing the bay's eastern channel edge near Buoys 72 and 72A, while on the western channel edge near Smith Point Light, a mix of bluefish, rockfish and croaker were found at The Triangle. Cornfield Harbor provided boating anglers with a mix of spot, croaker and snapper bluefish, while shorebound anglers fishing from Point Lookout State Park's public fishing pier and causeway caught a mix of croaker, spot, snapper bluefish, flounder and keeper rockfish, nearly all of which were caught after sundown.

CAPE CHARLES AREA -- Windy weather curtailed much of the week's action, however, there were a few relatively calm days when live-lined croaker produced good numbers of stripers to 32 inches from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel's manmade islands. A few cobia were caught near Lattimer Shoals. Croaker seem to be everywhere you drop a piece of squid or bloodworm, most measuring 12 to 14 inches at best. At night, channel bass to 30 pounds have been caught along the bay's eastern channel edge near Buoy 42 using live spot on a fish-finder rig.

Atlantic Coast

CAPE HENLOPEN/INDIAN RIVER -- Still lots of bluefish to six pounds being caught from the decks of Cape Henlopen Pier, where cut bunker and finger mullet baits produced excellent results late in the day. Fair numbers of flounder were also taken from the pier on live killfish and squid strips fished during high and ebb tides. Black drum to 80 pounds were found lurking in Delaware Bay at Broadkill Slough, Brown Shoal and the Coral Beds, locations where shucked sea clam proved effective when fished early and late in the day. Scattered catches of keeper-size weakfish, including an 11-pounder taken on a fly rod, were reported during the week. The majority of weakfish and flounder alike have been just an inch or two too small to keep. Tautog remain plentiful at the Ice Breakers, Outer Wall and some of the nearby wrecks.

OCEAN CITY -- Headboat anglers loaded up on tasty sea bass to four pounds during the past week, and catches have consistently improved as the spiny dogfish migrate out of the region. A few tautog also have been tagged and released. Larry Katz of New York caught a 17.9-pound tautog while aboard an Ocean City headboat last week. Offshore, scattered catches of small bluefin tuna to 40 inches were reported by charter captains in search of larger fish. Shark fishing remains extremely slow, possibly because of cold water conditions. Flounder catches above the Route 50 bridge fell off a bit during the week. Striped bass to 32 inches were caught from the decks of the bridge at night, while anglers casting bucktails in Ocean City Inlet caught stripers to 38 inches and a few keeper weakfish.

CHINCOTEAGUE & WACHAPREAGUE -- Flounder catches continue, but finding a keeper-size fish has been a challenge. Offshore, small bluefin tuna and slammer bluefish dominated the action, particularly at the Lumpy Bottom, Parking Lot, 21 Mile Hill and 26 Mile Hill.

OUTER BANKS -- Bluefish ranging 12 to 18 inches dominated the surf and pier fishing action from Nags Head south to Cape Lookout early in the week. As water temperatures rose, good catches of spot, sea mullet, croaker, speckled trout and a few weakfish were reported. South of Oregon Inlet, plug casters caught a mix of snapper bluefish, Spanish mackerel and several red drum, plus the season's first cobia, which weighed 50 pounds. Offshore, the charter fleet caught a mix of yellowfin tuna to 40 pounds, a few blue marlin were tagged and released, dolphin to 20 pounds and several big wahoo.

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Fish Lines
By Gary Diamond
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, July 1, 2005; WE53
Fish Lines

On June 22, the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee released the 2005 Blue Crab Advisory Report. The committee analyzed data collected from 2004 through early this year to determine the status of blue crabs in the bay. The population remained low but was similar to numbers reported in 2002 and 2003. Though there were more juvenile crabs than in recent years, there were fewer crabs of exploitable size and fewer female crabs. The committee expects that the 2005 commercial crab harvest will be higher than the 2004 harvest. But scientists warned that the overall health of the blue crab population still warrants concern, and fisheries managers are advised to maintain blue crab fishery restrictions. To view the report, visit
http://www.chesapeakebay.net

What's the Catch?
Washington & Vicinity

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- Fair catches of tidewater largemouth bass were made using a variety of lures along the edges of grass beds from the District to Potomac Creek. Water temperatures are in the low 80s, and the river is relatively clear, especially in the grass beds. In Mattawoman Creek, full-moon tides created high water conditions but did not hamper largemouth bass action in the spatterdock beds above Slavin's Launch Ramp and near Marsh Island. Grass beds in Chickamuxen Creek and Arkindale Flats were especially productive; soft plastics, buzzbaits and crankbaits were effective for tidewater largemouths. Grass beds in the mouth of Aquia Creek, Wades Bay, Piscataway Creek and Bulltown Cove were productive. In the Woodrow Wilson bridge area, bass were found near bridge pilings and ledges adjacent to the Spoils. A few big bass took jigs in Fort Washington marina and the marinas in the Occoquan River. Channel catfish to 15 pounds seem to be everywhere you drop cut herring or chicken liver baits. Most were found near Fletcher's Landing; some of which were taken from shore, and the majority were caught from boats. Lots of channel catfish and huge carp in Washington Channel, Pentagon Lagoon and upriver of Fletcher's Landing.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- Water temperatures are in the mid-70s, and smallmouth bass fishing upriver of Lander was fair to good. Fly fishing enthusiasts saw great action early and late in the day using elk hair caddis and mayfly imitations. Small poppers fished in the deeper pools in early evening produced good catches of smallmouths, particularly near Whites Ferry along the Virginia shore. The Maryland side of Harrison Island continues to produce bass as long as 16 inches; most slammed tube lures rigged to tiny leadheads.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA.) -- The river at Harrisburg is 3.5 feet, and levels are fairly steady. The best smallmouth bass action is at the heads of deeper pools, where live shiners, tube lures, stickbaits and tiny, stream-size crankbaits proved effective early and late in the day. Conowingo Lake's upper reaches continue to provide good to excellent smallmouth bass action from among the submerged boulders of Big Bear and Little Bear islands, the mouth of Muddy Creek and the fast waters upriver of Muddy Run Pumping Station.

Maryland

TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- Scattered catches of crappie were made in both impoundments, and there were fair numbers of largemouth and smallmouth bass caught and released by anglers casting shallow-running crankbaits and soft plastic lures.

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- Anglers fishing from boats had no trouble catching white perch. Trolled, inline spinners trimmed with night crawler lured perch ranging eight to 12 inches and lots of small bluegills to eight inches. The most productive location was near the mouths of School House, Hampton, Pierce's and Dead Man's coves; most of the fish were schooled just beneath the surface, suspended over depths of 35 to 55 feet. A few crappie were caught from Dulaney Valley Bridge using live minnows, but the best crappie action was inside Pierce's Cove, where fish to 12 inches smacked tiny shad darts trimmed with live minnows and fished close to the bottom. Largemouth bass to 18 inches and similar-size chain pickerel slammed plastic worms, weedless rigged tube lures and tiny topwater plugs fished close to rocky shorelines. Most were taken just after sunrise from small, isolated pockets of open water in near-shore grass beds.

Virginia

LAKE ANNA -- Striped bass seem to be in their summertime mode, just six feet beneath the surface much of the day. But anglers fishing near Stubbs Bridge, the mouth of Sturgeon Creek, The Splits and Terry's Run at dawn had no trouble catching limits of linesiders to six pounds while casting four-inch, pearl Sassy Shad rigged to half-ounce leadheads, small topwater plugs and shallow-running crankbaits. Most of the impoundment's largemouth bass action took place early and late in the day in shallow water, but when the sun was high, the fish moved to depths of 12 to 15 feet, where live minnows, Texas-rigged tube lures and plastic worms were effective. Water temperatures averaged in the low 80s midday, which drove crappie to deep-water haunts. Slabsides to 12 inches were found in the shadows of bridges and piers, where live minnows proved effective.

SHENANDOAH RIVER -- Fair to good catches of small smallmouth bass were made on stream-size Rebel Crawfish, dark-brown spinners and some shallow-running crankbaits. Most of these fish were in deeper pools downriver of Bentonville, where early morning anglers armed with ultralite spinning gear and fly rods got mixed results.

Chesapeake Bay

UPPER BAY -- Striped bass to eight pounds were hauled from the tailrace waters of Conowingo Dam during the past week, mainly by shorebound anglers casting live white perch and bluegills. Boating anglers trolled shallow-running crankbaits near the mouth of Octoraro Creek and the deep pool upriver of Robert Island. Near Lapidum Landing and the deeper waters above the Interstate 95 bridge, large shiners and cut herring baits lured channel catfish to 10 pounds late in the day. Scattered catches of small stripers were made from among the Susquehanna Flats grass beds, and they were mixed with tidewater largemouth bass to five pounds. Both slammed Bass Assassins rigged as floating, weedless lures and dragged over the tops of the beds. Channel catfish ranging from two to 12 pounds were found in the deeper waters of North East, Elk, Bohemia, Sassafras and lower Bush rivers; they smacked bottom-fished cut herring and chicken liver. Trollers and chummers caught rockfish ranging from throwbacks to 23 inches at Hickory Thickets, Love Point, the Dumping Grounds, Belvedere Shoal, Bodkin Point and the lumps southeast of Pooles Island. The secret was to be on site at daybreak, and if the tide was moving, you usually caught all the fish you could handle in two to three hours. By 9 a.m., most of the fish caught were much too small to keep. Snapper bluefish to 18 inches were also reportedly caught from the chum slicks, while at the mouth of Chester River a few croaker to 15 inches were taken on bottom-fished squid strips and the new bloodworm imitation Fish Bites. White perch were caught inside Chester River, mainly from the mouths of small creeks between the Route 213 bridge and the entrance to Kent Narrows.

BAY BRIDGE AREA -- White perch have schooled with small stripers among the submerged boulders that make up the manmade island of the old Bay Bridge span. They will smack bottom-fished bloodworms and chunks of peeler crab during moving tide. Nighttime anglers fishing from the decks of Mattapeake State Park's public pier caught a few croaker, snapper bluefish and a couple keeper-size rockfish, nearly all of which were taken on Fish Bites and squid strips. Chummers scored mixed sizes of rockfish at Brickhouse Bar, The Hill and The Diamonds, where linesiders to 22 inches smacked cut menhaden baits in the slicks. Croaker fishing in Eastern Bay was good to excellent at night, but only a handful of anglers reported daytime catches.

CHOPTANK RIVER AREA -- The river's lower and middle reaches provided good to excellent croaker action at night, with most fish measuring 16 to 18 inches. The majority of the catches were made between Cook Point and Castle Haven in depths of 15 to 20 feet, where bottom-fished squid strips and chunks of peeler crab were effective.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA -- Headboat anglers fishing at night caught a good mix of croaker to 18 inches and spot to 12 inches while fishing the bay's eastern channel edge with bloodworms, squid strips and chunks of peeler crab. Anglers fishing from the decks of local charter boats traveled to The Gooses, where chumming with ground menhaden produced stripers ranging from throwbacks to 24 inches, plus lots of snapper bluefish ranging 12 to 20 inches. A few small weakfish were also caught from the chum slicks, but nothing big enough to keep.

PATUXENT RIVER AREA -- Big spot were caught just inside Point Patience, and they were mixed with some huge croaker. The spot-croaker mix is at Drum Point, Green Holly, Fishing Point and at Hawk's Nest at the mouth of Cuckold's Creek. There were some reports of white perch at the same locations. Croaker were also caught at the Chinese Muds, the artificial reef near Cedar Point, the sailboat marker near Little Cove Point and off Second Beach. Nighttime anglers found large numbers of big croaker along the bay's eastern channel edge from 5 to 10. Trollers caught keeper-size rockfish while dragging spoons and tandem bucktails between the Gas Docks and nuclear plant. Plug casters fishing early in the morning caught keeper-size stripers while tossing surface lures and Sassy Shad near the rocks at the nuclear plant and in the plant's warm-water outfall.

HONGA RIVER AREA -- Stripers to 20 inches slammed bucktails trimmed with chartreuse twister tails and chunks of peeler crab in the river's shallows near Lower Hooper Island Bridge and some of the guts and sloughs inside the river's mouth and up to Bentley Point. The shallows of Bloodsworth and Holland islands also provided some great light tackle action for stripers and an occasional flounder to 20 inches. Mixed schools of breaking rockfish and bluefish have been sighted along the bay's channel edges just before sunset, but when the sun dips below the horizon, the action quickly switches of croaker fishing in depths of 25 to 35 feet.

TANGIER SOUND AREA -- Bottom-fishing action in Tangier Sound has been inconsistent. The sound's shallows hold fair numbers of big croaker, small striped bass and a few flounder, most of which were caught at night near the Nanticoke River's mouth at Roaring Point. Charter and headboat captains traveled several miles south of Crisfield to the southern end of the Cut Channel to find schools of big croaker. Most measured 15 to 17 inches. A few small weakfish, flounder and spot were mixed with the croaker, and all were taken on bottom-fished chunks of peeler crab, bloodworms and squid strips.

POINT LOOKOUT AREA -- Big stripers to 34 inches migrated back to the lower Potomac River and took up residence a few miles west of Point Lookout along the river's channel edge. Charter boats running from nearby Smith Creek were elated to find the rockfish here, especially when they were mixed with schools of croaker ranging 14 to 17 inches. Chummers also found rockfish along the bay's eastern channel edge near Buoy 72, fish measuring from throwbacks to 20 inches that were mixed with similar-size bluefish. Croaker to 17 inches were found at the Southwest Middle Grounds, where bottom-fished squid strips and bait shrimp produced limit catches for nighttime anglers fishing in depths of 14 to 20 feet. During the day, the fish migrate to depths of 35 to 45 feet, and the size drops off considerably. Charter boats south of Smith Point Light found good numbers of croaker near the mouth of the Wicomico River and across the bay along the eastern channel edge, mainly in depths of 55 to 65 feet. Plenty of white perch in the lower Potomac River, mainly around the lighthouse at Ragged Point. Spot catches picked up in the mouth of the Wicomico, and croaker returned to the area after a short absence.

CAPE CHARLES AREA -- An incredible weekend for anglers bottom fishing with squid strips late in the day and into the evening. Lots of mid-size croaker were caught from The Cell south to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel, and they were frequently mixed with spot to about 10 inches. Ripping through the schools of spot and croaker were dusky shark to 100 pounds, a few channel bass to 45 pounds, and fair numbers of cobia to 55 pounds. The cobia were primarily concentrated at the Inner Middle Grounds and Lattimer Shoals, where live menhaden and live spot rigged to balloon floats and fished in chum slicks produced arm-jolting strikes. Flounder to six pounds were caught at The Cell and the CBBT's Fourth Island, mainly on large killfish rigged to the back end of bucktails and fished tight against the bottom. A few spadefish were caught from beneath buoys outside the bay's mouth, but that action has been unseasonably slow.

Atlantic Coast

CAPE HENLOPEN/INDIAN RIVER -- Roosevelt Inlet was the weekend hotspot for big flounder. Nighttime anglers casting a variety of bucktails in Indian River Inlet caught striped bass to 25 pounds from the north jetty. There were fair numbers of snapper bluefish and a few big weakfish taken from the jetty.

OCEAN CITY -- The weekend hotspot for bluefin tuna has been the 20 Fathom Curve and the Sausage Lumps, which produced tuna to 35 pounds for trollers using cedar plugs an Green Machines. At the north tip of Washington Canyon and the Rock Pile, yellowfin tuna to 35 pounds slammed rigged ballyhoo and Green Machines trolled over the canyon's edge. Headboat anglers loaded up on sea bass to five pounds in more distant wrecks, while in-shore slammer bluefish to 12 pounds were taken from shoals and lumps a few miles southeast of Ocean City Inlet. Anglers from the jetty and decks of small boats caught a mix of striped bass to 30 inches and weakfish to eight pounds while casting Tsunami bucktails during ebb tide. Flounder catches in the back bays were good to excellent, but keeper-size fish are becoming scarce.

CHINCOTEAGUE & WACHAPREAGUE -- Offshore, small bluefin tuna arrived at the Parking Lot, Ammo Wreck and Lumpy Bottom, where trolling cedar plugs and rigged ballyhoo lured fish to 40 pounds. Washington Canyon's south tip and the northern end of Norfolk Canyon held good numbers of yellowfin tuna but still no sizable numbers of dolphin.

OUTER BANKS -- Most surf catches from Nags Head to Cape Point centered on a mix of sea mullet, snapper bluefish, small speckled trout and occasional flounder. Pier anglers fared better with catches of Spanish mackerel, a few big cobia, bigger sea mullet and larger bluefish. The Oregon and Hatteras inlet fleets loaded up on yellowfin tuna to 80 pounds and large numbers of gaffer dolphin. A few billfish were tagged and released. Several big wahoo were taken from the Gulf Stream's edge.

[treed942000]

Fish Lines
By Gary Diamond
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, July 8, 2005; WE52
Fish Lines

The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office is spearheading an effort to develop an educational program for local land-use officials in the Chesapeake Bay region that addresses the relationship of land use to natural resource protection. In partnership with the Center for Watershed Protection and National NEMO Network, the office convened a meeting June 24 to explore use of the Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) model. The concept for a pilot project in the Chesapeake Bay is based on the successful use of NEMO in Connecticut, where it was developed.

The Chesapeake NEMO initiative would establish a collaborative network within the bay to improve education and support services for local communities in dealing with growth and development issues. To learn more about NEMO, visit http://nemo.uconn.edu/about.htm .

Washington & Vicinity

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- Bass fishing has been good in much of the river's tidal reaches, but the best opportunities lie between Piscataway and Chickamuxen creeks. Water temperature is in the low 80s, and algae blooms have been erupting from Mattawoman Creek downriver to the Route 301 bridge. In the river's District sector, a few tidewater largemouth bass were caught and released from Washington Channel's drop-off near Fort McNair Wall, Long Bridge's pilings, the mouth of Roach's Run and the old railroad crossing near Blue Plains. The Spoils, Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Smoot Bay and coves near Belle Haven provided anglers with a few bass, but the action was limited to early and late in the day. Piscataway Creek's milfoil beds continue to provide good bass fishing where buzzbaits, stickbaits and spinnerbaits were effective during low light periods. Pomonkey Creek has been excellent, especially during the last few hours of ebb tide. Anglers are regularly sighting snakeheads, which seem to have taken a foothold in a vast segment of the river's middle and upper reaches. Though only a handful have been caught, there have been several reports of these aggressive fish slamming lures and shaking the hooks free within seconds after the initial strike. Lots of channel catfish to 10 pounds were caught during the past week, mainly by anglers fishing from the river's shores near Fletcher's Landing and Washington Channel area. Bottom-fished chicken livers, night crawlers, cut herring and bait shrimp were all effective, especially during high and ebb tides.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- The river's upper reaches are loaded with algae. Most anglers said the best smallmouth bass action was near White's Ferry, where the largest fish averaged only about 10 inches, not a good sign for the river's fisheries.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA.) -- The best bass fishing is in the river's impoundments downriver of Harrisburg. Most small, spring-fed tributaries of Conowingo Lake and Holtwood Pool provided anglers with good catches of bronzebacks ranging to three pounds. The majority were taken on small tube lures and live minnows rigged to quarter-ounce leadheads and fished slowly close to the bottom. The secret to success was to toss the lure close to shore, allow a few seconds for it to sink, then begin a slow, deliberate retrieve. At the slightest indication of a hit, set the hook.

Maryland

TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- Catonsville resident Craig Walrath was fishing with a plastic worm in Triadelphia Reservoir when a 5-pound 10.5-ounce largemouth bass inhaled his offering; it was an exceptionally large bass for this time of year. Crappie are still plentiful in the upper and middle reaches of both impoundments, mainly along sharp drop-offs where live minnows proved productive when fished in depths of 10 to 15 feet close to shore.

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- The holiday weekend provided anglers with lots of chunky white perch, some measuring 10 to 12 inches. Most anglers, however, have been catching more big bass this season than anyone can imagine. According to Loch Raven Fishing Center's Kevin McComas, "This has been the best largemouth bass season I've witnessed in more than a decade. I don't know why it's this good, but everyone is coming back to the docks with digital photos of big bass." Most of the bass were taken by anglers casting shallow-running crankbaits close to rocky shores and along the edges of dense grass beds. Chain pickerel to three pounds are also slamming the same lures, particularly early and late in the day.

Virginia

LAKE ANNA -- Local fishing guides reported limit catches of striped bass to seven pounds with just a few hours of fishing. Most were trolling deep-diving crankbaits and Sassy Shad in depths of 15 to 20 feet during the early morning. Top locations were the mouth of Sturgeon Creek, The Splits, the Route 208 bridge, Jett Island and the deeper waters adjacent to the state park. Largemouth bass action was good for anglers plug casting the impoundment's shallows early and late in the day, times when fish to six pounds slammed lures in the shadows of piers and overhanging brush.

SHENANDOAH RIVER -- Smallmouth bass action was fair over the holiday weekend. Most of the fish caught and released were just four to six inches in the Bentonville area. Though there were a few fish to 14 inches caught upriver of Bentonville Bridge, the number of mid-size fish is still low. The river's waters are clear, warm and slightly above seasonal levels, perfect for fishing from float tubes, canoes and kayaks.

Chesapeake Bay

UPPER BAY -- Fair catches of keeper-size striped bass were made in the Susquehanna River at the base of Conowingo Dam by anglers casting live white perch and bluegills in the dam's tailrace waters during periods of electrical power generation. Boating anglers fishing a short distance downriver near the mouth of Octoraro Creek trolled shallow-running crankbaits and quarter-ounce bucktails over the deeper pools, locations that yielded stripers to four pounds. Smaller stripers, mainly throwbacks, were found ripping through tiny pods of baitfish downriver near the head of Robert Island, fish that readily slammed small topwater plugs. Channel catfish to 10 pounds were caught just a short distance upriver of the Interstate 95 bridge, mostly by early morning anglers fishing with cut herring and chicken liver baits. A 31-inch striped bass was caught from the shores of Elk Neck State Park by a youngster fishing for catfish with nightcrawlers. Smaller stripers have been caught and released from grass beds of the Susquehanna Flats, fish ranging from 12-inch throwbacks to 18-inch keepers. The best action has been on tidewater largemouth bass, which frequently weighed three to six pounds and slammed spinnerbaits fished near the edges of grass beds and near marina piers in the North East River's upper and middle reaches. Channel catfish to 12 pounds are just about everywhere you drop a chunk of cut herring or night crawler. The past weekend's hotspots include the lower reaches of the North East, Elk, Bohemia, Sassafras, Susquehanna and Bush rivers, as well as the entire length of the C&D Canal. Striped bass to 30 pounds were caught by chummers during the past week at a half-dozen locations, with the largest fish, a 44-incher caught at Belvedere Shoal by a youngster fishing from the decks of a local charter boat.

BAY BRIDGE AREA -- Eastern Bay and Kent Narrows were the best spots for white perch to 10 inches, while just outside the bay's mouth at The Hill, chummers caught lots of stripers from 18 to 30 inches while chumming with ground menhaden. White perch to 10 inches were caught among the Bay Bridge's pilings, mainly on the eastern shore side of the old span and from among the submerged boulders that make up the structure's manmade islands. A local charter captain that guides light tackle and fly fishing trips reported good catches of larger white perch in the Miles River where bloodworm imitations produced perch to 14 inches.

CHOPTANK RIVER AREA -- The drop-off along the river's southern channel edge near Cook Point provided light tackle anglers with catch-and-release action for breaking schools of small stripers, which were found late in the day foraging on schools of small anchovy. At least one black drum that tipped the scales at about 25 pounds was also caught at the same location, a fish that was subsequently released. The river holds good numbers of croaker, most caught between sundown and midnight or from just before sunrise and until about 7 a.m. White perch to eight inches, and a few channel catfish to five pounds were caught by nighttime anglers fishing from the decks of the Route 50 bridge with cut herring, bloodworms and clam strips. During the day, the action was limited to smaller perch and throwback rockfish.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA -- Trollers and chummers reported excellent catches of rockfish and bluefish, both measuring 18 to 20 inches. A few rockfish measuring up to 35 inches were taken early in the day by trollers, while the smaller fish seemed attracted to chum slicks. Most of the drum seem to have headed south, and none have been reported during the past two weeks. Headboat anglers had fantastic fishing for croaker at night, and there were fair numbers of jumbo spot mixed with them. Bottom-fished bloodworms, squid strips and bloodworm imitations lured croaker to 16 inches and spot as large as 12 inches.

PATUXENT RIVER AREA -- Nighttime anglers loaded up on croaker in the river's lower reaches, with most fish measuring 12 to 16 inches, and a few topping 18 inches. The majority were taken on bottom-fished squid strips, and bloodworms proved to be a good second choice bait. Spot to 10 inches were also caught in the river's lower reaches, the Chinese Muds and Cedar Point Hollow. Small rockfish and bluefish were caught at Cedar Point Rip by plug casters tossing tiny topwater plugs and small jigging spoons among the breaking fish. Anglers using heavier jigging spoons sunk their hooks into rockfish to 25 inches, fish that were foraging tight against the bottom at the same location.

HONGA RIVER AREA -- The river's lower reaches continue to provide light tackle and fly anglers with good catches of striped bass from 16 to 22 inches, but croaker fishing came to a halt during the day. Late in the evening, however, monster croaker materialized just east of Hooper Island Light, with some measuring up to 20 inches. Bottom-fished squid strips and bait shrimp were extremely effective, particularly during ebb tide.

TANGIER SOUND AREA -- Some croaker were caught from the shores of Roaring Point at the Nanticoke River's mouth and by boating anglers fishing The Puppy Hole, mostly at night. Snapper bluefish to 18 inches ripped through pods of small menhaden and anchovy late in the day at Puppy Hole Buoy and in Kedges Straits, locations where small jigging spoons cast among the melee produced arm-jolting strikes.

POINT LOOKOUT AREA -- Shorebound anglers fishing from Point Lookout State Park's causeway and fishing pier caught a mix of spot, croaker, snapper bluefish and an occasional flounder during the past week. Boating anglers enjoyed excellent catches of rockfish in the Potomac River's lower reaches, where chumming with ground menhaden lured rockfish ranging 22 to 30 inches from along the river's channel edges north of Smith Point Light. Across the bay at the Northwest and Southwest Middle Grounds, rockfish to 30 inches swarmed into chum slicks along with snapper bluefish to 18 inches. At night, big croaker were active in the shallows of the Southwest Middle Grounds, some measuring up to 20 inches.

CAPE CHARLES AREA -- Lots of croaker here, fish ranging from eight to 15 inches in length that will hit any piece of bait as soon as it hits bottom. Larger croaker, some tipping the scales at nearly two pounds, were caught along the bay's eastern channel edge at night, mainly from depths of 25 to 35 feet where sharp drop-offs occur. Several large flounder were weighed last week, some topping nine pounds that were taken from the Chesapeake Bay and Bridge Tunnel's Fourth Island on squid-minnow combinations. Citation-size spadefish were caught at The Cell, the largest weighing 12 pounds and taken on tiny morsels of clam suspended beneath a small float. Spadefish were also caught from the CBBT's manmade islands, Chesapeake Tower and the Tower Reef. Only a handful of cobia have been caught during the past few weeks, but there have been a number of large sharks hooked and lost at Lattimer Shoals and the Inner Middle Grounds, which may account for the lack of success on cobia. The sharks frequently will grab a live menhaden or cut bunker bait long before the less aggressive cobia.

Atlantic Coast

CAPE HENLOPEN/INDIAN RIVER -- If you have access to live eels, Indian River Inlet is the place to go if you want to battle some big stripers. Rockfish to 41 inches and weighing nearly 30 pounds slammed live eels fished in the inlet at night, while during the day, flounder to three pounds hit live minnows fished in Indian River Bay's lower reaches near the Coast Guard Station. Offshore, sea bass and flounder action improved at DB Buoy, where squid strips proved effective. Anglers fishing from the decks of Cape Henlopen Pier caught a mix of throwback flounder, a few croaker, small stripers and a few keeper rockfish to 30 inches.

OCEAN CITY -- The offshore fleet reported excellent catches of bluefin tuna up to 25 pounds while trolling cedar plugs and green machines along the 20-fathom curve. There are still some big bluefish closer to shore at the Jack Spot and Fenwick Shoals, but because the tuna were relatively close to shore, the blues were largely ignored. Headboat anglers loaded their coolers with mid-size to large sea bass. Shorebound anglers fishing Ocean City Inlet and Route 50 bridge at night caught rockfish to 36 inches while casting bucktails trimmed with twister tails and live eels. Surf catches at Assateague Island consisted mainly of snapper bluefish, kingfish, croaker and an occasional striped bass.

CHINCOTEAGUE & WACHAPREAGUE -- Snapper bluefish from 12 to 24 inches were found just inside both inlets, while flounder to four pounds were taken from Queen Sound, Black Narrows and Cockle Creek. The big problem at both ports is spiny dogfish, some of which tip the scales at 10 to 15 pounds and hit flounder baits as fast as they hit bottom. Fortunately, the dogfish are excellent to eat, the meat is tender, white and flaky. Offshore, bluefin tuna to 47 inches were caught from the near-shore lumps, while yellowfin tuna to 25 pounds were boated at Washington Canyon.

OUTER BANKS -- Good catches of spot, croaker, sea mullet and snapper bluefish were taken from the Nags Head south, Avalon Pier and the shores of Oregon Inlet. South of the inlet near Cape Point on Buxton, several bluefish, Spanish mackerel and cobia were caught. The largest cobia tipped the scales at 71 pounds and was caught by an angler fishing just outside the surf line from a kayak.

[treed942000]

Fish Lines
By Gary Diamond
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, July 15, 2005; WE53
Fish Lines
What's the Catch?

Washington & Vicinity

TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER -- Grass beds between Piscataway and Nanjemoy provided the best largemouth bass action, with Piscataway Creek, Marshall Hall, mouth of Mattawoman Creek and grass beds just inside the mouth of Chickamuxen Creek among the most productive locations. Buzzbaits were effective early in the day, but when the sun gets high, stickbaits and plastic grubs rigged to quarter-ounce leadheads were the only game in town. Not much going on between Belle Haven and the D.C. bridges. Algae blooms continue to plague the river, and as temperatures continue to rise, the problem could worsen. Channel catfish to 10 pounds continue to dominate the action near Fletcher's Landing and Washington Channel, where shorebound and boating anglers caught good numbers of catties using bottom-fished night crawlers, stink baits and slabs of cut herring. A few monster carp were also taken from the same locations and put up an incredible battle on light tackle. Some carp caught and released were estimated at more than 20 pounds.

UPPER POTOMAC RIVER -- The river's upper reaches were slammed by the past week's heavy rains, but a few more days of hot, dry weather should bring some clearing conditions. Before the rains, good catches of smallmouth bass were reported at Whites and Edwards ferries, where tiny tube lures enticed strikes from bronzebacks up to 12 inches.

SUSQUEHANNA RIVER (PA.) -- Tailrace waters downriver of Holtwood Dam, the mouth of Muddy Creek and cut between Big Bear and Little Bear islands provided anglers with good catches of smallmouth bass, many of which tipped the scales at 12 to 15 inches. Channel catfish were found at the same locations, most weighing two to three pounds at best. Live minnows proved best for bronzebacks, while chicken livers, night crawlers and prepared catfish baits enticed catties. Conowingo Lake's lower reaches provided scattered catches of largemouth bass for early morning anglers casting shallow-running crankbaits near the log jams at Police Cove and across the lake along the rocky eastern shore.

Maryland

TRIADELPHIA AND ROCKY GORGE RESERVOIRS -- The past week's largemouth bass action was slow, though both impoundments provided weekend anglers with good catches of channel catfish, crappie and white perch, all taken on night crawlers.

LOCH RAVEN RESERVOIR -- The impoundment remains at full level. White perch catches were good for weekend anglers, but many of the fish measured six to 10 inches at most. Largemouth bass catches were fair for early morning anglers fishing the edges of grass beds and log jams above Dulaney Valley Bridge, while beneath the bridge a few crappie to 10 inches bit live minnows. Chain pickerel remain plentiful throughout the lake's middle reaches, mainly along the edges of grass beds.

Virginia

LAKE ANNA -- Summer bass fishing patterns are in full swing, with the largest fish holding tight on deep drop-offs, beneath bridges and in the shade of deep-water piers. Most of the bass taken were found in the main lake and mouths of creeks where water temperatures are a few degrees lower. Darrin Bache and Larry Meadows of Fredericksburg caught an 11-pound stringer, with their largest fish tipping the scales at six pounds. Lots of stripers scattered from d**e No. 1 to Stubbs and Holiday bridges. The fish seem to be in tight schools and holding in depths of 20 to 30 feet. Weekend trollers scored well in the main lake, fishing mainly with XPS, Cordell Redfins and DD-22s. Live bait is also working well. Local anglers John and J.C. Moran caught limits of stripers with combined weights to 56 pounds. Crappie remain plentiful beneath bridges and deep-water piers, where live minnows and two-inch plastic grubs rigged to tiny leadheads enticed fish to 12 inches. The same rig also provided some unexpected hits from big channel catfish.

SHENANDOAH RIVER -- High, muddy water eliminated much of the past weekend's fishing activity.

Chesapeake Bay

UPPER BAY -- While there are still good numbers of striped bass being caught from the tailrace waters of Conowingo Dam, most measured a few inches shy of the 18-inch minimum size limit. Farther down the Susquehanna River near the head of Robert Island in The Pool, a few-keeper size stripers were taken on small surface plugs fished late in the afternoon and early evening. Only a handful of stripers were found among the patches of Susquehanna Flats' aquatic vegetation during the past week; most were too small to keep. However, the same grass beds held tidewater largemouth bass to five pounds; the fish were extremely aggressive despite rising water temperatures. Deep channels of the adjacent North East River provided anglers with small white perch and big channel catfish. Some of the catties topped 12 pounds, and nearly all were taken on cut herring chunks and bottom-fished chicken livers. Catfish from two to seven pounds were found in the channels of the Elk, Sassafras, Bohemia and Bush rivers, and the C&D Canal. This has been an unusual year for big stripers, many of which seem to have remained in the confines of Chesapeake Bay instead of taking their normal trip north to New England. Trollers using tandem bucktails umbrella rigs and dark-colored surgical hose eels caught rockfish to 39 inches while fishing Love Point Light, Hickory Thickets, Gum Thickets, Peach Orchard, Belvedere Shoals and several other upper bay sites along the main shipping channel's edges.

BAY BRIDGE AREA -- At the bay's western channel edge just above Sandy Point Light, anglers found some big stripers in depths of 25 to 35 feet. Jigging spoons worked tight against the bottom during periods of moving tide were effective, luring fish to 30 inches. A bit to the south at Brick House Bar, similar-size rockfish were caught while chumming with ground menhaden and using slabs of cut menhaden for bait. While you had to cull the catch, the majority of the fish measured 18 to 24 inches in length, and throwbacks were minimal. A few bluefish from 12 to 18 inches were also taken from the chum slicks as well. Chumming lured keeper rockfish from the mouth of Eastern Bay, while inside Eastern Bay the catches consisted of mid-size white perch, spot and a few croaker. The best perch action was at the mouth of Wye and Miles rivers, where bottom-fished bloodworms and imitation bloodworms were effective.

CHOPTANK RIVER AREA -- The river's lower and middle reaches provided anglers with a mixed bag of striped bass and croaker. The stripers, mostly measuring 18 to 20 inches, were taken early and late in the day while casting bucktails in the river's shallows between Cook Point and Castle Haven. Most of the croaker were caught by nighttime anglers drifting squid strips and bloodworm imitations in depths of 25 to 30 feet along the river's southern channel edge. Nighttime was also the best time to hook up with channel catfish and white perch from the decks of the Route 50 bridge at Cambridge, where bottom-fished bloodworms, razor clam and cut herring baits were effective.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH AREA -- Local charter captains have been elated to find lots of big stripers in the bay's confines this time of year. Most captains returned to the docks with limit catches of rockfish ranging up to 36 inches in length, plus a few mid-size bluefish. Headboat anglers fishing at night caught limits of croaker measuring 12 to 18 inches, while during the day catches consisted of a mix of spot and white perch.

PATUXENT RIVER AREA -- Rockfish are breaking during the early morning at Cedar Point, south of The Targets, and across the bay at Hooper's Island Light. While most are small, ranging 13 to 15 inches, below them are much larger fish measuring 18 to 25 inches. They can be readily taken while working jigging spoons tight against the bottom, and there have been some hefty croaker mixed with the larger stripers. Trollers using bucktails and spoons (Tony Acetta No. 15 chrome and white) caught limits of keeper rockfish while fishing between Buoy 77 and the Gas Docks. Most of these fish were taken early in the day. A few stripers to 30 inches were also caught while trolling in the bay's eastern channel edge near Punch Island. These rockfish are near the surface in the 80- to 90-foot depths, where spoons, bucktails, umbrella rigs with small teasers, and tandem rigs proved productive. Croaker fishing is very good, both in the bay and mouth of the Patuxent River. Most were caught at the Chinese Muds and at Point No Point Light on bottom-fished squid strips and bloodworm imitations.

HONGA RIVER AREA -- The river's mouth continues to provide fair catches of small stripers for light tackle and fly anglers, with most fish measuring 12 to 20 inches. Just outside the river's mouth larger schools of breaking rockfish and bluefish slammed tiny jigging spoons. At night, bottom-fished bait shrimp and squid strips lured croaker to 20 inches from the bay's eastern channel edge, and there were a few small weakfish mixed with them.

TANGIER SOUND AREA -- Croaker from 12 to 14 inches were caught by headboat and charter boat anglers bottom fishing near Puppy Hole Buoy, Old #9, Kedges Straits and Fox Island Buoy, locations where bottom-fished squid strips and chunks of peeler crab proved effective, especially at night. Bloodworms fished at the same locations lured spot to 10 inches, a few keeper-size weakfish and even a few keeper flounder.

POINT LOOKOUT AREA -- Chummers loaded their coolers with big stripers while chumming near the Potomac River's mouth, and along the bay's eastern channel edge at the Southwest Middle Grounds, locations that yielded stripers to 35 inches during the past weekend. The same locations also produced limit catches of croaker to 17 inches for nighttime anglers bottom fishing with squid strips and bloodworms. The croaker often did not begin to bite until nearly midnight, but from that point until slack tide, the action was reportedly fast and furious. A few big weakfish were found lurking near the wreck American Mariner, where small bucktails trimmed with a chunk of peeler crab lured trout to six pounds.

CAPE CHARLES AREA -- There are lots of croaker, and sizes vary substantially between those caught during the day and those taken at night. Daytime fish ranged from eight to 12 inches and were found in depths of 25 to 45 feet along both sides of the bay's main channel. The same locations at night provided anglers with croaker to 18 inches, plus keeper-size flounder and weakfish. Flounder to nine pounds were caught from among the submerged boulders of the Chesapeake Bay and Bridge-Tunnel's Forth Island and The Cell, mainly while working bucktails trimmed with live minnows close to both structures. Spadefish to eight pounds were taken from the same locations by anglers floating small pieces of fresh clam in a slick of ground clam mixed with lots of clam juice.

Atlantic Coast

CAPE HENLOPEN/INDIAN RIVER -- Indian River Inlet continues to provide anglers with good catches of big striped bass on a daily basis. Most were taken by anglers casting live eels from the jetty boulders during the last few hours of ebb tide, when fish to 22 pounds were feeding actively. Flounder and sea bass fishing between DA and DB buoys, a short distance offshore, has been hit-or-miss. However, on days when the weather has been calm, flatfish to five pounds have been caught using squid strips and bucktail combinations. Cape Henlopen Pier provided weekend anglers with a mixed bag of flounder, striped bass and croaker, but the largest stripers were found lurking a short distance from the beach at the Outer Wall, weighing up to 30 pounds and smacking live eels.

OCEAN CITY -- Offshore, yellowfin tuna action at Washington Canyon was great, with yellowfins to 45 pounds slamming Green Machines and Cedar Plugs. Closer to the beach at the Jack Spot, small bluefin tuna to 40 pounds hit the same lures. To the south at the Lumpy Bottom, larger bluefin tuna to 120 pounds were taken while trolling and chunking. Headboat anglers enjoyed good catches of sea bass to four pounds, and while only a few 25-fish limits were reported, most anglers caught numbers in the high teens. Shorebound anglers fishing the beaches of Assateague State Park caught a mix of spot, croaker, kingfish and snapper bluefish using bloodworm imitations.

CHINCOTEAGUE & WACHAPREAGUE -- Offshore action was excellent for both bluefin and yellowfin tuna. Most of the bigger bluefins were found at the Parking Lot, Lumpy Bottom and Ammo Wreck, locations where both chumming and trolling lured tuna to 140 pounds.

OUTER BANKS -- Small bluefish, mid-size croaker and some sea mullet were cooperative in the surf near Corolla. Spot, small croakers and scattered small bluefish were caught from Corolla to Oregon Inlet, but fishing was generally slow. The same mix was reported from Oregon Inlet down to Salvo, but the mix was spiced with the addition of pompano to two pounds in the Rodanthe-Salvo area. While there has not been many pompano caught this summer, most of the fish that have been reported were relatively large.